Hello everyone and welcome back! Allow me to give you my thanks for all the support the last chapter got, and I hope that you guys will enjoy this one! We're finally in the last leg of the story so I hope I'll be able to stick the landing! Anyways, that's all for me, let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: I don't own -man or BNHA, all rights go to their respective owners.


Chapter Twenty-Six: Obsessed

The feeling that filled the air atop that lonely roof could only be described as "mind-boggling." While there was an obvious sense of disbelief as to some of the craziness that Walker described, there was also a strange hint of sincereness that dripped off his every word.

"That's... you're not making sense, kid," Metal Meister muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I agree," Midoriya added, "None of this sounds even remotely possible." Walker's claims all sounded like something pulled straight out of a fairytale. Demons, beasts, age-old horrors, unknown mysteries, a catholic order wiped from history, and a holy war. Almost everything came off as guaranteed fiction, but the seriousness and brevity Walker devoted to every word forced them to believe his tale.

"Sheesh," Mineta groaned, "He's gone insane."

"I wish, that would make more sense than this," Kaminari added.

"Well, believe what you want, but that's the truth." It was kind of funny, really, because Walker kept the details of his explanation down to a bare minimum. Things like the Heart, the Noah Clan, and the details of innocence, he purposefully omitted to make his claims more understandable. "I guess those will have to wait till another time," he thought to himself with a sigh.

"So, this is who you are, huh?" Metal Meister stated. "I can't say I expected any of this, and to be honest, it'll take a while for me to come around to believing you, but it's good to know that you trust us."

"Thanks," Allen said with a grin. He knew that this process would take time.

"In that case, I guess our only course of action is to ask, 'What comes next?'"

"To be honest, I didn't think that far ahead," Allen laughed.

"I guess that's fair," Metal Meister said, returning the conversation to a familiar, light-hearted jaunt. As far as he saw it, Walker would always have an air of mystique hanging around him. But, in the end, that was part of what made him unique. "No matter what happens, I'll be on your side," he said as he strolled up to the boy and tousled his hair. Trust is a two-way street; if they wanted to get somewhere, he'd have to force himself to believe Walker—even if what he was saying was a bit insane.

"I'm not sure how to feel about this," Ashido and Uraraka groaned. All of them felt like they were hit in the head with a brick.

"You guys aren't actually falling for this tall tale, are you?" Iida asked in his typical paranoid tone. "Demons, exorcists, conspiracy, it's all ridiculous." Allen knew that the boy bore no ill-will, but he knew his past wouldn't be believable to logic-minded people like Iida.

"I'm right there with you, man," Kirishima said. "I just can't take this seriously." It was obvious that the two were pained by this—not being able to trust a friend is something that's hard for everyone, after all. "You're certainly one bizarre guy, Allen, but this just doesn't sit right with me."

"Well, that's fine, it was hard for people to believe even back then, too." Collectively, they let out a sigh of relief. Even though some didn't believe Allen's story, the mere fact that he got that all off his chest seemed strangely... uplifting.

"Ah dammit," Mineta sighed, "Why don't we all go get something to eat and mull over the details later!" For once, their tiny classmate said something that all of them agreed with. Just like that, they all slowly began to filter back into the hospital—their minds still partially frazzled.

"Well, if I choose to believe you, then it really does beg the question: 'Why are these priests here?'" Kaminari muttered as they watched a small platoon of the Vatican's finest shuffle past. "What? Are you telling me they know who you are, Allen?"

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

"Be careful," Metal Meister warned, "I've got a bad feeling about those blokes."


As Allen and his friends walked down the hallway toward his room, Metal Meister clicked his tongue and nervously looked over his shoulder. For some reason, he just couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. However, after a few minutes of this, he gave up. "Ah, I must be seeing things," he surmised as he shook off his worries.

"That was damn close," a man in a dimly lit room cursed as he jostled a small joystick. "Is this kid really worth all this, Ms. Linda?" he asked a familiar woman who was standing at the back of the room.

"You idiots really have no idea," she muttered under her breath as she strolled up and pressed her finger against the monitor. "There's a good chance that this boy is exactly what we've been looking for. We can't afford to let this chance pass us by."

"And if you're wrong about him? You didn't tell the Pope anything when you ordered us all here, after all. What are you on?"

"If the Vatican didn't trust me, they wouldn't have approved this expedition," she said with a playful grin. "Just be quiet and follow my orders, I promise that this will be worth it!"

"If you say so." Truth be told, Linda was the only one privy to the basics of Walker's past. At that point, the majority of the Vatican's personnel in Japan truly believed they were there for simple relief efforts. However, there were some within the organization that had an idea of Linda's true goals, particularly the soldier-like priests who were currently stationed all over the city. These men were Linda's personal officers, and due to her rank, were quite fond of not asking many questions. "The Pope was a bit of a hassle, but he stood aside with a little haggling. The old prudes back in Italy are too hungry for action—it makes moves like this easy."

"Well, in that case, do what you want," the man said with a sigh. Linda did just that, and before long the monitor was fixated back on Walker's hospital room. The drone she placed had already worked its way around the surroundings and had picked up a couple of samples. "This is all for the cause," she thought as her hand crept up to the crucifix that hung around her neck. "If I can succeed, everything will finally be made clear." This wasn't the time for hesitation or half-measures. "You'll have to forgive me, boy, but this is for the good of humanity," she whispered under her breath. The wheel had started to turn.


Allen frowned as he shifted uncomfortably around in his seat. For some reason, he felt like he was being watched. "I'm getting flashbacks," he thought with a nervous chuckle as he recalled the Order's uncountable number of golems. Back then, privacy was limited to only his personal quarters, which he was rarely at. However, something about this felt... different than before. "Brr," he whispered as he felt a chill go up his spine.

"You good, kid?" Metal Meister asked.

"Yeah," Allen nodded, "I think I'm just nervous."

"About what you told the others?" Yet again, Allen nodded. "Well, that's natural, you told them a truly tall tale, after all. Even I'm having a hard time forcing myself to believe half of it."

"That's certainly encouraging to hear."

"So, if you were alive back then, what was it like?"

"Hmm," Allen murmured as he scratched his chin. "It was… quiet." There were numerous parts about the present day that he found shocking, but principal amongst them was the hustle and bustle of the modern city.

"Oh yeah?" Metal Meister chortled. "Were there really men walking around in bowler hats?"

"Mainly in England. Though, to be honest, I wasn't around there much once I joined the Order."

"It sounds like they really ran you ragged."

"What else could they have done? If Japan only had a handful of heroes, wouldn't the public use them to their utmost ability?"

"I guess, though it sounds absolutely exhausting," Metal Meister conceded. "Did you get any sleep at all?" he joked as Allen laughed.

"I managed, a lot of my comrades back then I swore were robots! We had one, her name was Miranda, who I heard could stay up for over a week straight!"

"What?" Metal Meister scoffed. "There's no way, you've got to be pulling my leg."

"So, you believe the exorcism and demons but that's too much for you?"

"Touche." For a second, the pair of them just sat there, taking in the fleeting bliss of the moment. However, the second this pair of now-good friends got comfortable, cataclysm struck.

"Ah, I see you finally managed to make your way back to your room, Mr. Walker," a familiar voice cooed as the woman who'd unceremoniously thrust herself into all their lives strolled in.

"Oh, Ms. Linda, I apologize for not getting back to you earlier," Allen said with a slight grin; it seemed that seeing his classmates had really cheered him up.

"Why is she here?" Metal Meister thought, momentarily stunned, as he watched Linda saunter up to Walker's bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in what could only be considered a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Just fine, as a matter of fact!" Allen, still riding the high of the previous hour, was oblivious to this.

"That good nature of his is going to get him killed," Metal Meister thought with a frown as he casually pulled the woman a few feet back from the boy's bedside. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "You were about to knock over his water." Thankfully, the kid's gifts had proven useful, and, for the moment, he managed to avoid gaining Linda's ire.

"Ah, it's fine! Really, I should be the one apologizing," she laughed it off, her words still sending a slight chill up Metal Meister's spine.

"Aren't you the leader of the Vatican's regiment?" Midoriya asked.

"You've got a good eye, little hero!" she cooed in that same sickening way. "Don't worry, I'm not here for anything more than simple pleasantries. Charity is in our blood, you see, why wouldn't we visit the room of a student who's sacrificed so much over the past few days?"

"Is that right?" Metal Meister said with a furrowed brow. He had his suspicions but, sadly, had no evidence to act on them. He was already walking on thin ice thanks to his previous exploits, he didn't need to add accosting a priest to the mix. "Be careful, kid, this woman's dangerous."

"Anyways, now that we're all acquainted, I was wondering if you'd like to go out and explore a bit, Mr. Walker. I already talked to the hospital director, and they told me it'd be fine as long as you were back for your evening checkup."

"This smells like trouble," Metal Meister thought as Allen shot out of his bed.

"If that's really okay, I'd love to go and see the town!" Metal Meister bit his lip.

"You mind if I tag along, Ms. Linda?" he asked in an equally cheesy tone. "I and the boy are good friends, you see, and I want to make sure he gets back to the hospital safe after this little excursion."

"Why, that's just fine! Go for it!" the woman said, her tone full of joy. However, for a brief moment, Metal Meister swore that he saw her scowl.

"This woman is nothing but red flags."

"Well, let's get going!" Linda said with a glint in her eye. With a wave of her hand, a small group of nurses shuffled in carrying a boatload of odd doodads and knickknacks. Quickly, they ushered them all out of the room and gave Allen a brief checkup. Once that was done, and his doctor gave him the green light, he was permitted to change and finally leave the premises.

What followed was a sight that could only be described as "truly bizarre." Their walk through the ruins of the city was less of a leisurely stroll and more of an escort. It consisted of a ring, with Linda and Walker in the middle, surrounded by a legion of priests who were, in turn, bordered by Walker's classmates.

"This isn't suspicious at all," Metal Meister thought as they turned a corner onto a wide, rubble-covered beach. "Ugh," he groaned as he pinched his nose, "This place stinks." The battle had caused numerous dead fish and waste to wash ashore, which attracted a slew of rats and other undesirable pests.

"Ugh," Ashido grumbled as she pulled her foot from the pile alongside a sickening squelch. "It's the corpse of one of those monsters." Scattered throughout the place was the dismembered remains of an uncountable number of abominations, all of which gave off the stench of raw bile.

"Why'd you take him here, Linda?" Metal Meister growled. He wasn't dumb, there was no way this was a coincidence.

"You mean to tell me that you aren't even slightly curious?" she muttered back, her expression oddly serious and stern, as she watched Walker wander about the macabre gravesite.

"Dammit," he thought as he stared at the degrading remains. There were so many more he could save, but fate simply had other plans.

"If you keep clamping up your heart like that, you're going to regret it later," Metal Meister told him. "Chin up, kid. For now, at least, you're the one that everyone's looking toward." Tragedies naturally beget questions, and Walker was the only one with the answers. "You worried this is going to happen again?"

"I'm not sure." He simply ended up in this time by chance, he didn't have the network available to figure out the state of things. "Either way, it's frustrating that I wasn't able to help them sooner."

"You'll have to grow used to that feeling, kid, if you want to survive in this business."

"I know." It wasn't like he was omnipotent, but, as with most things in life, Allen couldn't stop himself from hoping that his situation would one day get better. "Now then," he muttered to himself as he knelt down and grasped some of the dilapidated corpses. "Let's get you moving, shall we?"

"Mr. Walker, you don't need to do that!" Linda said as she summoned some of her cronies to help. However, Allen ignored her pleas and continued on. Within the hour, a wide swathe of the beach was clear of the akuma remnants, leaving behind nothing more than a faint, dark dust.

"I pray that these souls find salvation," he thought with a small nod. The second he was finished, though, Linda sauntered up and tousled his hair.

"Well, aren't you pious?" she said with a gleeful grin. "Be careful, though, I'm sure your doctors would be annoyed if they had to patch you up again."

"Don't worry," Allen responded as he limped over to a sizable piece of debris. Within the minute, their retinue had broken into a strangely quiet moment of rest.

"So, this is really how you lived?" Midoriya spoke as he plopped down alongside him. The rest of their classmates were still milling about the beach; some were cleaning, and others, like Kaminari and Mineta, were occupying themselves with the now-clear water.

"It's... peaceful," Allen said as he took in a deep breath.

"Is that a new feeling?" Midoriya joked.

"It is. Truth be told, I can hardly believe my eyes sometimes." Villains aside, it really was incredible to see just how far humanity had come from his time. There were fewer beggars, no holy war, and a general sense of belonging that was simply unthinkable back during his days with the Order.

"Man," Midoriya groaned as he awkwardly scratched his scalp, "Fate handed you and me some interesting hands, huh?"

"Hmm?" Allen pondered, confused, "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing," the boy continued as his mind momentarily flashed back to All Might. While this pair showed a moment, neither of them noticed Linda staring disturbingly at them from the back of the beach.

"Not yet," she thought as she chewed on her thumbnail, "I'll have to wait till these heroes are all gone first."

"Ma'am, are we moving on?" a neighboring priest asked her, but she ignored him.

"Take the others and go on a quick break, I'm going to make a call."

"Roger."

As silently as a snake, she sneaked out of Metal Meister's gaze and began to stealthily type something on her phone in her back pocket. "It's about time for the cavalry to get here," she whispered with a grin.


Dusk fell over the ruined city without a fuss as a group of men quietly shuffled into a drainage outlet. "Is he really going to be here? The boss and the League, I mean."

"How should I know? Twice told us to be here, so we're here," the man at the front of the pack grunted. "Hey, how's your arm doing?" he asked as he looked back on his small retinue. "You got hit during the battle, right?"

"By one of the heroes, yeah, God knows most of those fools can't aim."

"I'd be thankful if I were you," another villain said, "If you got nailed by one of those demons, we'd be sweeping you off the floor."

"Ugh, don't remind me," the man groaned. "It makes me sick that we weren't able to take even one of them down."

"Not even the boss was able to do anything," his partner muttered.

"Hey, stop that talk, unless you want to die."

"The League's been sensitive ever since the battle," a neighboring guard added. "Word of advice, don't bring up the matter with the brass, they've been on a warpath ever since yesterday morning."

"Sheesh, thanks for the heads up." With that, the menagerie of villains shuffled into the League's main hideout. A giant complex complete with a timely throne atop an equally sizable stage. "Shigaraki sure does have a taste for the extravagant."

"Hey, Twice, is that everyone?" Dabi asked.

"Uh... I think so," the man muttered as he scratched his head. "Shigaraki, do you want to get started?"

"Obviously," the villains' infamous leader grunted. "Let's get this over with."

"Oh boy, here we go," another small fry said as Re-Destro rolled onto the stage.

"Greetings, my friends! I'm certain all of you are exhausted and weary from the battlefield, but don't worry! None of us, including Mr. Tomura, expect this little get-together to take too long!"

"Great... it's time for another one of Re-Destro's winded speeches."

"I'm sure you're all petrified at the prospect of monsters knocking down the doors of our city! As you all are no doubt aware, during the course of the fighting, we agreed to a temporary truce with the heroes to avoid annihilation! However, the time for peace has swiftly passed!"

"We going to war?"

"What's he talking about? The city's destroyed, are we really going to be slugging it out for some rubble?" The murmurs going about the menagerie of villains were as damning as they were numerous.

"This is a fight for freedom," Shigaraki spoke up, shocking the hall. "We've lived with our powers bound by the Hero Public Safety Commission for years now. As quirk-users, as humans, that's nothing more than full-on denial of what makes all of us special. Is the removal of those bindings not the goal of the Paranormal Liberation Front?"

"Indeed!" Re-Destro continued off Shigaraki's spark. "It's now, when the heroes are weak, that we must act and push through the Commission's quirk discrimination!"

"Yeah! Let's show those bastards who the real heroes are!" a group of enthusiastic minions near the front of the pack roared.

"Look at that, they're all riled up," Himiko giggled. "I get the feeling that I'll be able to see Midoriya soon," she cooed.

"I've compiled a list regarding the individuals we should most look out for in the coming assault," Mr. Compress said as he handed Shigaraki a short stack of documents. "Is there anyone you want us to target in particular?" Truth be told, all of them expected that Shigaraki would just grunt and shrug this part of the plan off. However, he instead said something that was entirely unexpected.

"Yeah," he started, "That boy, Allen Walker, leave him to me."

"Oh?" Himiko wondered, clearly curious. "Are you interested in him, Shigaraki? I didn't know you swung that way."

"Careful, Toga," he groaned as he scratched his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry!"

"I get the feeling that you're not sorry," Twice thought. "Man," he continued in a nervous whisper. "I'm not sure why, but I've got a bad feeling about this." For some reason, it felt like everything was teetering on the precipice of an unavoidable drop.


Allen yawned as he jumped in and out of unconsciousness; he just couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. "Dammit," he whispered to himself as his eyelids fluttered open, "this sucks." Perhaps it was due to his classmates warming up to him, or maybe it was because of his semi-confession, but it felt as if all the stress he'd accumulated over the past several weeks had come crashing down—it was absolutely exhausting. "I should call Metal Meister," he thought as he stared at a nearby clock. "I need to have him check up on Tim." The poor dog was probably worried sick. "Don't worry, little buddy, after today I'll be home." It was only a matter of time.

As he tried to contort himself back into a comfortable sleeping position, though, he felt an uncomfortable pang run down his right leg. "Crap," he hissed. "It has fallen asleep." It truly seemed as if every part of his body had gone unconscious except the one part he actually wanted to shut down for the day. "Welp… I guess this is my life for now," he grumbled as he stared aimlessly at the ceiling. "Huh?" he thought as he squinted his eyes: he swore that he saw a glint of light coming from the ventilation grate. Once he was certain no one was looking, he activated Crown Clown and used its tendrils to carefully force it back.

"This is—" He couldn't believe what he was seeing: a small drone—no larger than a quarter—was hovering in the open duct. Its main body, a small camera, faced down and was aimed square at his forehead. In an instant, Allen shot up and dug the device three feet deep into the nearest wall. "Why in the world was that there?!" In an instant, the hospital's calm demeanor fell apart like a house of cards. He'd felt this way before, after all, thanks to the Order's constant chasing. With a deep breath, he pressed himself against the nearest wall and listened closely. "Footsteps... a lot of them, too." This wasn't right, something was happening... something bad.

"I've got to get out of here!" In the blink of an eye, he rushed to his room's window and tried to pry it open. However, the moment he touched the glass, a bizarre force shot him back. "Dammit!" He ran to the door and slammed his shoulder against the frame; as he expected, it was locked tight. However, his captors were not careful enough: the locking mechanism itself was fragile. After a quick hit from his left hand, the doorknob shattered off the frame allowing him to rush into the hallway.

The onslaught came almost immediately. "What the hell?!" Allen groaned as he cradled his head. Out of nowhere, a mysterious sound crashed into his eardrums, forcing him to his knees. "Is this a quirk?!" he thought as he stared haphazardly at his surroundings. Nothing else seemed to be affected by the horrendous tone, which led him to believe that this wasn't a terroristic attack on the hospital itself, but instead a personalized, focused assault. "Hey, Ms. Linda, can you hear me?!" he cried out for help, only to be met with crushing silence. "Now that I think about it, the priests are all missing." The soldiers that just that morning swarmed the campus were nowhere to be seen, almost as if they had vanished into thin air. Desperate, he rushed to the nearest window, hoping to the high heavens that one of them would be unlocked. Sadly, the horrendous tone had taken its toll on his motor functions, zapping him of his strength and stamina.

"Be careful," he overheard a strange, muzzled voice say from the pitch-black hallway. "Remember, if what Linda says is true, we're handling the real deal here."

"I'm perfectly aware of that," another voice—presumably the first's partner—said as another unknown force swept him off his feet.

"Let's get this guy to Ms. Linda," the first mumbled as he scratched the back of his cloaked neck.

"Roger. The helicopter's already arrived, right?"

"That's what she told me."

"Well, in that case, we should get moving."

"Hell," Allen thought as he struggled in the man's grasp. He wasn't as strong as a Noah or an akuma, but he was certainly very skilled when it came to immobilization—he could barely think straight! "Should I use Crown Clown?" He shook his head; he still wasn't sure how direct exposure affected the human body, much less a direct attack. This hesitation would cost him dearly, as soon another attacker sent him spiraling face-first into the hard linoleum floor.

"Hey, be careful, that's an apostle!"

"You moron," the man's partner groaned to the other, "Now we're definitely going to get an earful from Ms. Linda. She told us to ensure that he arrives uninjured."

"Oh, really? So, you using your quirk to eviscerate his eardrums doesn't count?" the other sassed.

"Mine is all psychological, there's no actual damage."

"You're the one who's going to explain that to the boss, okay?"

"Yeah," the other scoffed, "God knows I'm not taking that bullet."

"Can you two just shut up and come on? The heroes will be here soon, we had to rip the entire area from the grid to make this work."

"What? Worried about fighting Eraser or some other wimp?" the first scoffed.

"No, but any chaos we incur here will reflect badly on the Vatican."

"He's right, Torii," the second said, referring to the third's obvious codename. With that, the third groaned and hoisted Walker up over his shoulder.

"Sheesh," he said, "This kid's all muscle and scars. Is Ms. Linda really sure that he's the one?"

"She wouldn't have moved if she wasn't."

"Good point," the man sighed. "Anyways, let's get a move on, the helicopter should be here by now." As if God himself was watching, the three soldiers immediately heard the sound of propellers spinning overhead. It was time to leave.


"Finally," Linda thought as she rolled her fingers against her desktop. "We had to be a bit forceful to ensure Walker's cooperation, but I'm sure it'll all work out." After talking to the boy, she knew that he was simply too gentle to go against this kind of request. However, as with most things in life, fate had other plans.

"Ms. Linda," a nearby assistant called out, "It's the heroes, they're on the move."

"Are they now?" she grinned. "Well, no matter, it's not like they'll be quick enough to stop us," she hissed.

"Well, it's not them," the assistant said in a meek tone as he shakily held up a small mobile phone. "It's also the Pope, he and the rest of the brass aren't exactly happy."

"The brass can deal with it." Linda scoffed. "Those old heads don't understand that we're standing on the precipice of a great breakthrough!"

"Is it really wise to insult your bosses when they were the ones who gave you all those soldiers?"

"That's just part of the business," she groaned as she rolled her eyes. "That said, I do wonder how the other members of the Santi Marescialli will react to this." Dropping a revelation like the existence of a true, bona fide apostle of God on devoted followers out of nowhere wasn't exactly subtle. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she muttered to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ma'am," her assistant called out. "Were you expecting visitors?"

"Visitors?" she thought. "No... why?" She had no meetings scheduled, and nobody would send a messenger this late.

"Well, the front desk called to tell you that a hero arrived to speak with you on a matter regarding Allen Walker."

"A hero?" she scoffed. "Great, which one?" she had to come up with an excuse now.

"It's Metal Meister," the assistant continued. "He says it's urgent."

"What? Why is he her—" Before Linda could so much as finish her thought a humongous explosion rocked her makeshift headquarters. Just outside the building, the soul responsible for it stood steadfast with his arms crossed cockily at his chest.

"C'mon, Linda," Metal Meister hissed with a confidant smile, "You really should give me more credit."


Author's Note

Another month, another chapter, and man did this one take a while in the oven! Who'd have thought that loose ends took time to tie up? Anyways, I apologize for the delays. I've been busy working on my second book and haven't had as much time to devote to this here. Hopefully, my releases will pick up once the first draft is done soon. Anyways, that's all from me, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Final Door