(A/N: Sorry for the late update! My sister is in town and I got distracted yesterday. :P Enjoy some angst! Also there are pictures of my sister's cat on the tumblr as a gift. ;)

Formatting reminder:

"Speech heard through a speaker."

There are also several pov changes just so you know.)

...

The drive to UA was quiet. The Heroes weren't saying much and most of the teens were still tired from the plane ride. Hitoshi went back to his nap while Mei was keeping herself busy with her baby just like before. Izuku looked out the tinted window watching the world pass by while holding Shouto's hand who sat beside him. Though the Quirkless teen swore he kept feeling eyes on him from the Heroes at the front but whenever he looked, they were turned away. It made him slowly start to worry that this might actually be about him and not Shouto.

Once they arrived at UA, the teachers led them to the principal's office. Nezu of course was in there as well as Aizawa who was leaning on the wall behind his boss. Yamada went to stand next to his husband while All Might and Hound Dog flanked the principal's desk. Leaving the students standing awkwardly not sure what to do.

"Please, take a seat," Nezu said gesturing towards the couch facing his desk with his paw. His tone wasn't as chipper as it usually was and it had the greenet concerned.

How bad is this 'development'?

Izuku sat down on the couch first and Shouto took the space on his left side. Mei plopped down on his other side and Hitoshi took whatever space was left. Once settled the teens faced the teachers as the same tension since I-Island filled the air.

"Thank you for coming back so promptly," Nezu began, breaking the silence. "I apologize for interrupting your time on I-Island however we have some…news."

It was hard to tell who exactly the principal was looking at as his eyes were all black. But Izuku swore he felt the chimera's focus on him and, unfortunately, he was right.

"Izuku-kun," Nezu called out, confirming his worries. "It's about your mother, Inko-san."

All four teens tensed up immediately. Every one of them cared for Inko as a mother and were instantly concerned what had happened to her. Shouto quietly took his hand and the cool temperature of his fingers helped ground Izuku. He glanced at his friend briefly giving a squeeze in thanks before turning back to the principal.

"Wh-what about my mom?" Izuku stuttered out nervously.

"Your mother, she was…," Nezu said only to trail off, uncharacteristically unable to continue.

From behind him, Aizawa sensed his boss didn't want to be the bearer of bad news to his personal student, but he believed in ripping the bandage off quickly. One and done. Then the healing could begin.

"Your mother is in the hospital, Midoriya," Aizawa stated bluntly but still mindful of his words.

Green eyes stared at him in shock. His mom? In the hospital?

"…h-how?"

His breathe became shaky as his homeroom teacher continued, "She was attacked last night in your apartment. A Villain going by the name Muscular, aka Imasuji Gouto, infiltrated the residence via a warp gate created by most likely Kurogiri. According to the video recordings, he was sent to…retrieve you on Shigaraki's orders."

The Underground Hero paused letting that sink in for a moment not wanting to overwhelm the green one all at once. However, he knew he had to keep going eventually.

"Inko is currently in the hospital under critical condition. Recovery Girl is there to oversee her treatment and to assist in any way she can. Though at the moment Inko's injuries are too extensive for her to use her Quirk safely."

Izuku gulped trying to swallow all this down before asking, "A-and Muscular?"

Aizawa let out a huff of a sigh, brows furrowed in frustration as he answered, "The officers and Hero on scene were not able to apprehend him as he escaped through another warp gate. Hawks managed to send a feather through with him but has lost contact with it since. Meaning we have no way of knowing where the League is hiding at this current time."

If it were any other time, Izuku would be geeking out over Hawks being in his apartment, but not now. For the reason why he was there was horrifying. Yet another Villain was messing with his life. Shigaraki sent Muscular to take him and he ended up hurting his mother so badly she was in the hospital.

N-no…no way. This can't be happening.

This was his fault. He should have been there for her. To protect her. To save her from getting hurt by a Villain because of him. If only he had been there. His mind plagued him with what-ifs and he felt guilty for not being there for her. Off on I-Island goofing around. Well, not entirely as the Villain attack was no walk in the park either. But Izuku wasn't there to protect his mother and he couldn't help blame himself for everything.

He was the Villain magnet attracting all kinds of trouble. The Sludge Villain, USJ, Hosu, the mall, I-Island, and now this? What more could the universe want to dump on him to make his life so fucking hard? He was so lost in his self-deprecating thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was in the middle of a panic attack. But everyone else did.

Izuku was numb to the world. Couldn't feel the cool touch of Shouto's hand. Couldn't hear the voices calling his name. He was consumed by a mantra that it was his fault, his responsibility, his fuck up.

His mom was hurt and he did nothing to protect her. He was useless as a Hero not even able to save his own mother. It didn't matter that he was far away on an island to get away from Shigaraki. All that mattered was that the Villain still wanted him and still went after him and hurt his mom in the process.

And it was all. His. FAULT.

...

As soon as Shouta saw that the kid was spiraling, he snapped into action. Before anyone else moved he was stalking over to the couch and kneeling in front of his problem child. He didn't touch him as Midoriya was so out of it he didn't want to make it worse. Though the green one may not disapprove of it since he had a tight hold on Todoroki's hand who was handling the death grip like a champ. He and the others were more worried about their friend in this moment.

"Midoriya, can you hear me?"

There was no reaction to give him an answer. Green eyes were open wide but seemed vacant as words of guilt tumbled out of his muttering mouth. Out in the open for everyone to hear how he blamed himself. A glance back towards Hound Dog showed the dog man fighting to not growl in anger. Not at Midoriya but at the situation. But he did his best to stay as professional as he could while mentally noting what the boy was saying knowing they would need to talk about it in a future session. Beside him Nezu was up making what smelled like lavender tea in hopes of calming everyone down.

Shouta turned back to the panicking kid in front of him and said, "Midoriya, please let me know you can hear me. We need you to calm down. Come back to us."

It had no effect. So Shouta resorted to something he rarely used with his students. A move he used when the people he saved were in the deepest of panic attacks and he had to resort to searching their wallets. He used the boy's given name.

...

"Mi-ya, c-n - he-r -e?"

Izuku could but he couldn't. It was like a bad connection. It was all a garbled mess, cutting in and out.

"Mid-iya, pl-se -t m- kn- y-u can h-r me. We n-d you t- c-m down. C-me b-k to -s."

He couldn't understand, couldn't make sense what the voice wanted. Couldn't cut through the static filling his mind. That was until…

"…Izuku."

The sound of his name in the somber deep voice of his teacher finally did the trick. Pulling him out of the well of self-blame enough to see the surface. Still out of it unable to take in his friends and mentors watching him with worry. Green could only focus on black that stared back at him filled with concern. Aizawa could sense he was ever so slightly more aware and continued his efforts to bring the kid back.

"That's it, Izuku, listen to my voice," the tired man coaxed gently. "Can you hear me better now?"

He received a small nod in reply but that was it. More than enough though compared to before.

"Good, you're doing great," Aizawa said, holding back a sigh of relief. "Is it alright if I touch you?"

Izuku thought about it and took the time to assess himself physically. It drew his attention to his hand that was clenching Shouto's like a life line. He relaxed his grip but didn't let go as he gave another nod. Aizawa gave a hum in thanks as he gently grabbed his other hand and placed it on his broad chest.

"I want you to follow my breathing, do you think you can do that?" the man asked, earning another small nod. The muttering had died down but his breathing was still erratic. "Good, just follow my lead."

Aizawa exaggerated his breathing and coached his student back to a normal breathing pattern. Breath in four seconds, hold for seven, and then exhale slowly for eight. Again and again, he repeated it. Izuku had challenges following along at first but, as the minutes passed, he managed to match him exactly, breath for breath. As he calmed down, life slowly came back to his eyes.

Izuku could feel everyone looking at him. Could see their concerned expressions. Could feel Shouto's hand in his and his other hand on Aizawa's chest. Could feel how dry his mouth was and taste the bitterness of his lingering guilt. Could hear the raspy sound of his own breathing. Could smell the calming lavender scent of the tea Nezu walked over and now stood ready to offer to him. Could sense all the worry and care everyone had for him while feeling like he didn't deserve it.

"S-sorry," Izuku apologized quietly as he pulled his hands away and curled in on himself.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry about, Izuku-kun," Nezu insisted as he offered the tea now that his hands were free. "Nor is there anything for you to feel guilty about. This is not your fault."

"But I should have been there for her," Izuku pressed, taking the cup but merely holding it in his lap just to keep his hands busy. "She got hurt because of me."

"No, she didn't," Aizawa countered, still kneeling in front of him but not moving to touch again. "She was hurt by Muscular, not you. Muscular was sent by Shigaraki, not you. Shigaraki chose to do this, not you."

"BUT IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF ME!" the Quirkless teen snapped, almost spilling the tea. His outburst made everyone jump. "I'm the Villain magnet. I'm the one they keep coming after. If I had been there then they wouldn't have gone after her. She would have been safe."

"Then what about you, Izuku."

Green eyes that had been glaring down at his tea snapped back up to black.

"What about you?" Aizawa stressed, almost seeming to scowl in anger at his lack of self-worth. "What if you were there and Muscular took you and hurt your mother anyway? What if he took you and Shigaraki had you and we had no way of finding you? What if we lost you?"

The Quirkless teen's breath hitched. The months spent at UA being supported by so many people seemed to have melted away as his mind had reverted to how it was in middle school. Why did they care so much about him? He was Quirkless, he was useless. He was the creepy nerd who stalked Heroes just wishing he could be one despite being a genetic dead end. Why would they care this much about a useless little bug like him?

"You are not useless, Izuku," Aizawa all but growled, doing his best to stifle his anger for all the shitheads in his problem child's past. "You are strong, smart, and the kindest fucking person I have ever met. I am proud to have you as my student. And none of us want to lose you."

His friends and teachers gave various responses in agreement. Shouto placed a hand on his knee, Mei leaned against his arm, and Hitoshi reached over her to place a hand on his shoulder. All Might, Hound Dog, and Present Mic all nodded at him. Aizawa carefully reached out and gave his green curls a gentle pat. Then there was Nezu who did something he never expected.

His mentor gently took the tea from him and placed it on a nearby table. Nezu then proceeded to climb onto Izuku's lap and planted himself nonchalantly down before leaning against him. The teen looked to Aizawa for answers but the tired man merely shrugged with a look that said this was just how Nezu was. Oddly physically affectionate when he wanted to be. Lord knows how many times the principal has invaded his own personal space to make himself at home in his capture weapon.

Not sure what exactly to do, Izuku hesitantly wrapped his arms around the chimera. When Nezu snuggled further into the embrace, the greenet hugged him more firmly as tears fell from his eyes. He had never felt this much care from anyone other than his mother. Hisashi too when he had been home but it had been so long since he had seen his father in person. This was all a little too much but he would be damned if he didn't soak it up.

He had friends who cared. Teachers, mentors, too. In this moment he didn't feel alone. Didn't feel helpless having to face the world on his own with no support system behind him because he had a strong one right here. These people were precious to him and he was precious to them. It was like…they were family.

"Wh-what's going to happen to me?" Izuku finally asked in a sniffled whisper though didn't let go of Nezu.

Because there was a lot to consider here. Inko was hurt but was his main caretaker. Then again, they were going to be moving him on campus for his protection. But then what would that mean for their apartment? All of their possessions filled with precious memories. There were also his mom's medical bills. Would he have to leave UA and work to pay off everything?

"There will be no need for that, Izuku-kun," Nezu said, breaking him from his thoughts. "There is a clause that UA has to help students in tragic situations such as this. Your mother's medical needs as well as both of your living situations will be taken care of completely."

"What?" Izuku asked, confused.

"Basically, Nezu is going to use his power as principal and abuse it in his bias towards you to help you in this devastating time," Aizawa answered with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Normally I would disapprove but, unfortunately, I am also biased and am condoning his actions. So please for the love of all that is holy accept his help so I can sleep."

He could certainly use a century long nap after all this shit. Can't the world leave his problem child alone for once?

"O-okay," the boy agreed after a moment to think. "Where am I going to stay?"

He knew they would be moving him into the dorms but didn't know when that would go into effect. Obviously, he couldn't go back to their apartment so he didn't know where would he go for now.

"He could stay with us," Hitoshi offered out of the blue. He wanted his brother to be safe.

"While that could be a possibility," Aizawa replied immediately to his foster son. "Seeing as the plan was to have Izuku live on campus, it would be more practical for us to move into the dorms instead."

The vague acknowledgement of their living situation was enough to confirm one of the theories simmering in the back of Shouto's mind. He cast a glance at Hitoshi then at Aizawa. So, they are father and son. Though perhaps not exactly how he had thought before as he now knew Hitoshi was being fostered. He just didn't know by who exactly until now. But Shouto knew that this was not the time to revel in one of his theories being technically right. Izuku needed him more right now.

"As Aizawa-san said, it would be for the best to continue with the plan of you living in the dorms," Nezu said from his lap, Izuku still loosely holding him kind of like a teddy bear. "However, seeing as your mother is…incapacitated at the moment, I have arranged with your father to call him to discuss exactly what will happen to you."

"Call my dad?" Izuku asked, a bit eager to hear his father's voice. "When?"

"Any time as of now," Nezu replied, moving to get off his lap and Izuku let him go. The chimera walked back over to his desk as he spoke. "I contacted him as soon as we learned of your mother. He seemed very concerned and was also worried about you. I assured him you were safe and scheduled to speak with him once you were back and informed of the situation."

The principal retrieved his phone before returning to his place on Izuku's lap. Guess that was a thing now. Aizawa changed to sitting on the floor and the other Heroes moved to stand near the group around the couch.

The phone rang a few times before the sound of his father's voice came through, "Principal Nezu, I presume?"

"Yes, indeed, Midoriya-san," Nezu answered, ignoring the lack of greeting. "Thank you for your time. I understand you are a rather busy man and the time difference does add a level of difficulty."

"Hisashi is acceptable," the man said causing Yamada to perk up at the name similarity remembering Izuku telling him that when they had first met. "As for the situation and how it affects my son, of course I would make the time to attend to Izuku's needs. He is there now, correct?"

"Y-yeah, I'm here, papa," Izuku chimed in, feeling comfort from his father's voice.

"Izuku, how are you?" Hisashi asked, the care for his son clear in his voice.

"I'm…okay, I guess," the son replied, tone understandably solemn. "I'm worried about mom."

"As am I," the father assured. "I am sure the hospital staff is doing everything they can to attend to her."

"The Heroes too," Izuku added, though he winced realizing he mentioned Heroes to his father. But he couldn't stop now that he started. "Recovery Girl is also helping them."

There was a short pause before Hisashi said, "I see. Well, she seems to be in good hands then."

"As is Izuku-kun, I can assure you," Nezu interjected. "I am sure you are concerned as to what will happen to him while his mother is in the hospital."

"Indeed," Hisashi replied, his tone serious. "Seeing as his mother is injured, I would prefer he were with me. However, my current circumstances are not…ideal for that."

The mention of Izuku being with his father made him both happy and sad. Happy to finally be with his dad after so long but what would that mean for UA? Hisashi was overseas so that would mean he would have to leave school, right? But Izuku didn't want to leave nor did anyone else. There was also the fact that Hisashi couldn't have any outside visitors due to his work as that was why they had never been able to visit him after his injury.

"Hisashi-san, we at UA would be more than happy to house him here on the grounds," Nezu offered, having no intention of losing his personal student. "We already have a dorm system in place for students with some already taking advantage of it. Meaning he would be safely housed on campus with friends and teachers to look over him. Would this be satisfactory to you?"

There was a pregnant pause as the father considered it. Everyone was tense in the room as they waited. As for All Might, he was having different dilemma. The man's voice sounded familiar to him though he couldn't recall from where exactly. For some reason it sent a shiver down his spine but he wrote it off as a reaction to the man hinting at removing Midoriya from UA.

After a moment, Hisashi spoke, "Again, I would prefer him with me. Though I'm certain Izuku would want to stay…"

A sigh could be heard as they waited with bated breath. Izuku hoping his father would say…

"…yes, having him live there would be satisfactory. At least until I can make other arrangements."

They let out a collective sigh of relief though the moment was a little bittersweet. It was a yes for now but his last comment meant that it may not be permanent. Izuku would have to talk with his dad about that but not now. He would take this small victory and plead his case to stay at a later time. He had worked so hard to get where he was now and wanted to see this through to graduation in three years.

"Thank you for your permission, Hisashi-san," Nezu said, relieved that he could still teach his personal student. Izuku was a rare gem of intellect that he had yet to refine to a brilliant shine. "Due to his circumstances, Izuku-kun will be made a ward of UA until other arrangements are necessary. We will keep you updated to his progress going forward."

"That would be acceptable," his dad finally agreed.

With that settled, Hisashi bid his farewells before ending the call. The others were relieved that Izuku could stay and were all considering how best to handle moving him into the dorms. All Might however had different thoughts plaguing him. He still couldn't place it but there was just something familiar about the man's voice on the phone. He couldn't pin down exactly how or why but he swore he had heard that voice before. But where? When? How? Who? Because he certainly had never met or talked to Midoriya's father until now.

It's probably nothing, he thought, brushing the feeling away for now.

Whatever it was, he would figure it out later. For now, he would focus on Midoriya and his needs in this moment. They would need to gather his personal effects from his apartment while the others helped him settle into the dorms. He may have hurt the boy in the past and was now working on making it up to him. Helping him move, even in this grim situation, was another step towards redemption.

...

At the end of the call, All For One summoned Kurogiri. The misty man was quick to respond to his order as was part of the design of the caretaker of his ward. Follow orders without question and do what he could to aid and protect Tomura as he grew into his role of successor. And soon he would have another charge.

"Kurogiri."

The warper replied, "Yes, master."

"Make the necessary preparations," All For One ordered, caressing the picture of his son that he couldn't exactly see but could still sense with one of his Quirks. "It's about time for a family reunion."

What happened to Inko was unfortunate but the fact that Izuku hadn't been there was more important to him. That his son, his progeny, wasn't hurt by the mad dog Tomura had sent after him. A decision made on impulse but fortunately had worked out in a strange way. It opened this opportunity for All For One to finally bring his son into the fold.

Kurogiri gave a bow knowing exactly what his master needed from him and left to begin preparing for his son to join them. Following the order without question, or at least, not out loud. For while a majority of him was under the control of his conditioning, a small portion still clung on to the person he once was. The part that still wanted to fight for and protect those in need. And while he could not go against his master's orders, he would do everything he could to protect his son once this Midoriya Izuku was living amongst them.

Nothing would happen to this innocent boy. Not on his watch.

...

The principal clapped his paws together drawing everyone's attention to him.

"With that settled, let us begin preparations to move Izuku-kun on campus," Nezu declared from the boy's lap. "Aizawa-san, will you see to collecting his things from their apartment?"

"Of course," Shouta easily agreed. It was part of his duty as a Hero and a teacher to help his student in this trying time.

As he was standing up, All Might suddenly spoke, "I would like to volunteer to help as well."

His offer made the Underground Hero's shoulders slump in annoyance but he begrudgingly accepted the offer anyway. The other two Heroes in the room also stepped up to help and the four left UA bound for the Midoriya abode. Leaving Nezu to personally lead the kid and his friends to the UA dorms.

The drive to the apartment was somber. There was a sense of relief that Midoriya would be staying at UA. However, the looming threat of his father taking him away was still there but was held at bay for now. They would still be able to help guide the young aspiring Hero and would do everything they could to see him flourish.

Once they arrived, Shouta led the group up to the apartment as he was the only one to have been there before. All those weeks ago to collect the kid's notebooks in order to protect the information within. Only this time the front door was marked with police tape as it was now a crime scene. Upon entering the home, there were officers still working on collecting evidence and taking notes on what they find or see. They gave a passing glance at the Heroes as each of them flashed their licenses before going back to their work.

Shouta walked into the green one's room, noting the lack of name plate on the door and attempted to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to see. But despite Hitoshi having told him that Izuku had made a change to his room, the actual sight of it devoid of the onslaught of All Might's smiling face was still a shock. Before he had been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of merch and Hero fanboy-ness. But now…there was a drastic lacking of the Number One Hero's image.

Damn.

What once had looked more like a figurine collector's shop rather than a bedroom was now incredibly bare of merch. There were still some remaining traces of Heroes with a poster or two along with a handful of figurines. Perhaps a notebook here and a pencil there. But any evidence of All Might being among the featured Heroes was just…gone.

"Damn," Shouta said out loud as he walked further into the room.

"What is it?" All Might asked in concern as he too entered the bedroom.

The Number One Hero, still buffed up for appearances, looked around searching for what could be wrong. But seeing nothing, he turned to the Underground Hero for answers.

"This room," Shouta explained as he began to start packing the few figurines that were left. "I've been in it before."

He hid a smile in his scarf at the sight of the Present Mic figure next to his own that was gifted by his husband to the green one. Hizashi bit down a squeal upon seeing it too and gave a shoulder bump to his grumpy hubby before moving to pack up some clothes for the kid. Hound Dog busied himself in the bathroom and whatever else the newest ward of UA would need.

"You've been here before?" All Might asked, having closed the door so that he could shrink down to save his time.

"Yes," the tired man replied, continuing to pack things. "I came to collect Midoriya's notebooks to bring to UA for his safety as well as the safety of the Heroes he had analysis on."

Yagi thought back to the Midoriya's notes. He had seen them multiple times by now. When he had first met the boy autographing them and when they discussed the ones he had taken during his observations of the battle training. They were quite insightful and clearly clever, but dangerous? He didn't really understand how.

"Are they really that dangerous?" All Might asked.

Shouta stopped what he was doing and turned to the Number One Hero with a deadpan look.

"With what he wrote, every single Hero in those notebooks, including you, could be taken out like that."

The Underground Hero snapped his fingers at the final word. The emphasis made the skeletal man flinch.

"Well then, um," Yagi said, taking a moment to clear his throat. "Why did you react that way if they are safely at UA?"

"The last time I was in this room it was like a shrine to one Hero," Shouta answered as he went back to packing. "Had their face plastered everywhere with posters and figurines and whatever else the kid could get his hands on. But now, it's all gone."

All Might looked around the room seeing the spaces on the walls and in the room that were bare other than the places the small amount of merch had been before being packed away. There was no clear evidence as to who that Hero had been.

"Hmm. That would be quite a shock to see that and now this," Yagi commented, oblivious to the can of worms he was digging in. "I wonder why young Midoriya would take it down. Who was the Hero?"

Shouta tried not to smile but ultimately failed as he quickly hid it in his scarf. Despite the situation, he was filled with vindictive satisfaction for what he was about to say. After schooling his features, he turned to the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace about to ruin his day with only two words.

"All Might."

The tired man left it at that letting the reveal wash over Yagi like a tsunami. Sunken eyes widened once again realizing he had seriously messed up when it came to Midoriya Izuku. A boy who had looked up to him so much to decorate a whole room full of him. Only for All Might to let him down and tarnish his own image in the boy's eyes with careless words. Resulting in this.

Fuck.

"Now, are you going to start helping us pack?" the voice of the Erasure Hero broke him from his thoughts. "Or are you going to continue standing there like an idiot? You did offer to help, right?"

"Oh, uh, yes! I will do just that," All Might blurted out before making himself busy.

With four Heroes working together, they finished relatively quickly with a pile of bags and boxes with the Quirkless teen's belongings. Shouta left a list of what they took with the officers while Present Mic and Hound Dog worked on bringing the luggage down to the car. Before leaving, Shouta made a point of also gathering the number of framed achievements of Inko's gallery of admiration for her son. But first he actually took a moment to really look at the newer additions rather than the passing glances he had given the last few times he had been there.

The beach he was familiar with and it made him proud of the kid for several different reasons. A testament to his drive and dedication to get the job done. A mark of character that he had no want of recognition for it and only hoped others would be able to enjoy the results of his hard work. An accomplishment that simultaneously worked towards his goal of becoming a Hero while providing community service without want of praise. Helping for help's sake.

This was further celebrated in the framed first place medal next to it laying on a collage of news headlines. A placement the green one had fought tooth and nail for while still being concerned for his peers. Used his analytical brain and long honed training to fight his way to the top very much like Shouta had in his time. It was still strange to be a source of inspiration for someone when technically he shouldn't be known at all as an Underground Hero. But a mutual feeling of pride and appreciation brought a subtle warm smile to his scruffy face.

Then there was the article from Hosu. There were mixed feelings there and understandably so for those in the know. Izuku had fought and won against the Hero Killer Stain who he had secretly befriended over a year ago. A then civilian and Villain interacting sporadically late into the night unbeknownst until being questioned after the Hosu mess.

A strange connection existed between them and really only the two of them understood it. They could only glean so much from the recording the kid played for them that Nezu preemptively erased. A good call on his part as that would be damning evidence in some way or another. Guess they didn't need to worry about that now though. A threat destroyed before it could even be used.

But despite the odd circumstances that come with Hosu and Izuku capturing the Hero Killer, it was still a mark of who he was as a person and a Hero. Despite knowing a Villain and despite having to deal with so much crap growing up Quirkless, Izuku still managed to stay true to his path. Finding inspiration in the words of the Hero Killer to keep on fighting towards his goal of becoming a Hero.

I feel like I should thank him if I were to ever see him in person again.

Stain's encouragement had done so much for the kid and it was hard to dismiss that a Villain such as him was able to do good. For some, a Villain was a Villain and a Hero a Hero. One was bad, the other good and no in between. But Stain's and Izuku's odd friendship was evidence that wasn't exactly the case. That a Villain like him was capable to do good while a Hero thought to be good like Endeavor could do bad.

Sending the Hero Killer after the Number Two Hero may have been an odd and dangerous move, but they would put what the man found to good use. It made up a good chunk of their evidence combined with what they also have been able to discover. They still needed more time to prepare everything and solidify their case. But thanks to Izuku asking Stain to investigate a different kind of 'false' Hero and the Villain choosing to actually approach this case in a different way than to attack, there was really hope of them successfully taking Endeavor down.

As Shouta started to take the three frames down starting with the one for Hosu, All Might was studying the one of the beach. He had buffed up before they left the boy's room and so was hunched over slightly as he examined the framed article and picture beside it. The smile the peace sign giving boy was tired but still bright as the sun setting behind him which made the cleaned beach glisten.

"So, he really did do all that, huh?" All Might commented solemnly.

He knew that Nezu had said so but this concretely confirmed it seeing the before and after pictures. It was the sort of thing he would have assigned to his successor if they had met before UA. And it could have even been Izuku as he had wanted too. If only Yagi hadn't been such an idiot all those months ago.

"Yep," Shouta confirmed as he took down the second frame. "Mostly by himself from what he told me with a little help from his friend at the end. Took about ten months to get the job done."

"Ten months, huh?" the Number One Hero uttered, feeling more impressed by the accomplishment. "It takes a lot of drive to complete such an endeavor."

Shouta's brows furrowed at the use of that word. Since the start of the investigation into the Hero using that as his moniker, the word had become tainted.

"Well, drive is something Midoriya is not lacking in the least," the tired man pressed on past it as he reached for the final frame. "From my understanding he has always wanted to be a Hero. To help people. And he will do everything he can to become the first Quirkless Hero. Serving as an example and guiding light that anyone can be a Hero no matter Quirk or not."

The Erasure Hero glared at the Number One Hero who cast his gaze down to the ground in guilt. He too had judged the boy before really getting to know him all because he didn't have a Quirk. If he had known all of this, well…maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to judge. Would have been able to see past the lack of Quirk to see the budding Hero within. If only there was a way to change the past.

In lieu of an actual response, All Might merely nodded and helped bring down the last of the luggage. Shouta carefully wrapped the pieces of Inko's gallery in blankets from the linen closet before joining the others below. The drive back had a different form of tension mostly coming off of the skeletal form of Yagi. Present Mic and Hound Dog didn't know what happened but Shouta closed his eyes enjoying the satisfaction of letting All Might know just how much he fucked up with the green one. That if he truly wanted to make up for all he has said and did to hurt him, it was going to be a long road to redemption.

...

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