The ONE True Hero

by J Vision Lil

What if Inko believed in Izuku so he trained and dedicated himself to being a hero? What if he broke his limiter and was rejected from the hero course for being quirkless? This is a story of how Izuku Midoriya became a vigilante greater than any hero. The quirkless Deku who became the One True Hero. OPM deku, martial arts deku, Izumomo, confident deku, smart deku, vigilante deku.

35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 is here yall! This was a bit of a struggle to write, especially Momo's debuts, I rewrote it like three times. I originally had her fighting Hangentu, then I tried Poison Ivy, then Choze from OPM, but I'm happy and comfortable with who I finally decided on thanks to Yu Yu Hakusho. I always knew how I wanted to end this chapter, though I did tweek my original plans I feel the end results are nice. This will be a chapter that really puts emphasise on the individual choices that led each person to where they are now. Last chapter before the arc ends, so I hope you enjoy it and I hope this was worth the wait. Enjoy.

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Chapter 35 Choices

Izuku got up early the next morning. Eri had snuck into his bed and so he had to get out swiftly so as to not disturb her peaceful sleeping. The sun had just come up and all through his morning workout all he could think about was his confrontation with Stain last night. He was sure everyone had gotten where they needed to, along with getting the medical attention they all needed and before going to school he'd be sure to check on all of them. Inside he knew this was only the beginning, Stain was the first piece in discovering Tachibana's plan. There were still so many mysteries surrounding his former senpai, fueling his desire to uncover them, find her, and stop her. Because just from what he's seen so far her actions have done nothing but concern him. Helping the League Of Villains, Attacking U.A, not only rescuing but clearly training Stain, and orchestrating a prison break at Tartarus and freeing an inmate.

He knew there had to be a reason for all of this, the Takae Tachibana he knew would have never done any of this. He should have tried harder to confront her in Yamanashi, but he allowed her to escape, leaving nothing but a destroyed train station to show for it. Then he found out she knew his identity, because of course she was someone who could figure it out, and to his surprise she hadn't told a soul. All for One would have definitely brought it up if he knew. He got the impression that maybe she was protecting him in her own way, or maybe she wanted him to find her, or that she was possibly testing him. He calmed his mind and allowed the crashing of the waves on the shore to clear his mind, he opened his eyes before slowly standing up. He took a cool, crisp breath as he basked in the sun's rays. He had class in an hour and a half, giving him a window of work to do. Izuku ran towards the hospital in a light sprint before finding a secluded spot and getting into costume.

ONE entered the hospital and the receptionist told him where to find Endeavor and Todoroki. He headed to the half n half teen first, his severed arm looked like a clean cut, making it relatively easily reattachable but he was still concerned. As he made his way he passed a familiar woman, she was short, wearing scrubs with messy pink hair in a ponytail and blue eyes. She had a petite figure with a relatively cute face and a natural bland expression. ONE knew who she was, he had arrested her and several of her friends half a year ago. He smiled at her as she walked towards him, "Good morning Machi, how are you doing?"

"Patiently waiting to end another day of work release. That's how I'm doing." She answered calmly as she walked past him.

ONE kept his smile, "C'mon! I think this is a good work release program, all things considered."

Machi turned from him, "I guess it could be worse. They dragged me in here late last night to reattach a kid's arm."

"Well if it was YOUR handy work I'm sure he's doing fine. I'm actually here to see him, is he doing well?"

"I made him hold his own damn arm while I reattached bones, blood vessels, nerves and muscles. But yeah, he was fine last time I saw him."

"Your quirk is really fascinating. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to see it."

She turned and walked away, "My power's not your show."

ONE watched her go, "When she's not trying to kill or rob you she actually seems pretty nice." He thought before continuing to head to Todorki's room.

He gently knocked, hearing a light response before entering. He met eyes with the dual powered teen, he was propped up in his bed, the TV showing the news at a low volume. Todoroki had a look of surprise at seeing the hero. "ONE?"

Hey Todoroki, how are you feeling?" He warmly asked as he entered.

He raised his left arm, "My arm is a bit numb from the treatment, but I was told that's a good thing." He flexed his hand and wiggled his fingers, there was still a clear thin mark across his arm where it had been severed, be he was told that would fade with time. "They said it would take at least a week before I try doing anything strenuous. My doctor actually made me hold it while she sewed everything back together. Her quirk was amazing but her bedside manner was terrible."

ONE chuckled lightly at his last remark, "That's because she wasn't a doctor, but a villain on work release."

"They allow villains to work in hospitals?"

"It's not so much that. Certain work release programs allow prisoners with different quirks and skill sets to give back to the community and help in suitable ways in exchange for lesser jail time or straight up release. The point of this is to reform and allow current felons to gain skills to become productive members of society. That woman, Machi, is particularly good at stitching up wounds, both internal and external and as you've seen, reattaching limbs is fairly simple for her."

Todoroki looked at his arm, "I never would have guessed a villain would be the one who helped me."

"The world is full of unexpected surprises, Todoroki." The other teen made a sigh of agreement, "I'm glad you and Endeavor are okay. I actually came for more than just to check on you two. How exactly did you both end up beaten by Stain anyway? I told Endeavor he was his target, I figured he'd be more careful." ONE said, arms crossed while eyeing the dual haired teen.

Todoroki's expression became solemn, "Endeavor didn't take him seriously enough. He came out of nowhere and injured the Flaming Sidekickers, forcing us to chase him. Now that I think about it, his plan was to separate Endeavor from us. The Hero Killer and Endeavor got ahead of me. I'm not sure what happened but by the time I caught up he had already cut up Endeavor and had him on the ground. He told me to leave, but there was no way I could leave Endeavor to die. I was able to get off a wave of ice but he dodged it. And the next thing I knew my arm was gone and my body was paralyzed by his quirk. I underestimate him as well." He looked the hero in the eyes, "Thank you for rescuing us, ONE."

"It's fine, Todoroki, you did the right thing. But, I hope you take this as a learning experience. Stain lured you into an obvious trap and a fight on his terms. In the future you should try to see through that kind of deception, and act accordingly."

Todoroki clenched his left fist, the mark on his arm, "I'll work harder… I haven't forgotten what you said to me that day. You said that my power was mine, not my old man's. I went to his agency for my Work Study to become the hero and person I want to be."

"So you're just using Endeavor?"

"All he is to me is a hero, that's all he's ever wanted to be. I guess to him I'm doing what he's always wanted, but I don't care."

ONE saw the flash of coldness in his eyes, he had hoped he had gotten past this but resentment still remains. "Todoroki? I'm not asking you to forgive your fath-, I mean Endeavor. But speaking from personal experience, the longer you spend angry at someone, even if the reason is warranted, in a meta way, they rob you of another moment of happiness… It may be ignorant of me to say because I don't know your full situation, but, be happy, and continue to strive to be what you want to be. I guess overall what I'm trying to say is, you can move forward with your dad, AND be the hero you want to be." He turned to leave the room, "Rest up." He left the room and went to check on Endeavor. Todoroki sat in his bed, eyeing his reattached limb, he had lost it trying to save him. He didn't even think about it, when he saw Endeavor down his body just moved, and though it cost him he doesn't regret a thing. What ONE said reminded him of a conversation he had with his mom when he visited her a while back.

ONE made his way to Endeavor's room when he heard a cry of "Shoto!", quickly entering he saw that the Flame Hero had just woken up, breathing heavily.

"You ok, Endeavor."

Turning to the voice he was surprised to see ONE standing there,
ONE?"

The hero entered, "Hello sir, lovely morning." He stepped closer to his bed, "Happy to see you're doing better, all your cuts look to be stitched up."

Endeavor did a light inspection of himself, "I guess so."

"I just finished checking on Shoto. I told you Stain was after you Endeavor, how did you fumble this badly?"

His glare flared, "I'm not in the mood, ONE."

"Oh I see, cranky when you first wake up. I'll ask you later. I'm going to interrogate Stain after this but something he said got me thinking. You were genuinely worried about Shoto as I tried to help him, and Stain questioned your fatherly instincts. Does that mean you see Shoto as a person and not just an item you created? Or your "Masterpiece" as you've put it."

The hero was quiet for a moment, "You don't know anything about having a child, ONE."

"Maybe not. But the father you've been, is the furthest thing from mine, and the kind I guarantee I will never be. I don't know, WAS Stain wrong? Are you done trying to make Shoto the hero you could never be?"

There was once again silence, "That goal has lost any and all meaning."

"Well I'm happy to hear that… Good to see you're still among the living." He playfully commented.

"I still don't know how to move forward, and be a father. Shoto made it clear he only came to my agency to better himself as a hero, essentially using me for own purposes… I suppose I was a fool to think he would easily warm up to me, given everything I've done." He paused for a moment, "But still, he lost an arm trying to save me, and I couldn't do a damn thing to help him." He grit his teeth, shame and anger prevalent in his expression.

"I want to ask you something, and it may come across as a bit personal."

"What is it?" Endeavor answered with bland aggression.

"Did you WANT to be a father?.. At the time I kinda agreed with Stain, I couldn't tell if you were more worried about your son or your masterpiece."

Endeavor's expression deepend with mixed emotions, ONE's words hitting him at his core. His decisions were the result of all of this, it was only about what HE wanted, HIS ambition, and HE ruined his family because of it. Touya died because of him, Natsuo hates his guts, and Fuyumi tries because she has Rei's kind heart. Same with Shoto, how he's treated him, how he's trained him, and the person he is is nothing less than a miracle. He lowered his head, "I didn't want any of this. All I wanted was to surpass All Might. I couldn't see the down sides of my endeavor."

"About that, since Shoto told me about it, I've racked my brain thinking about your family situation. But try as I might, I still can't figure out why that was so important? It's common knowledge you've resolved more cases than All Might, and arguably saved more people. If you just wanted the rank of number one, power wasn't the reason you never got it. The best hero doesn't necessarily mean the strongest hero."

Endeavor was silent for a moment, meeting the hero's eyes before taking a breath and finding his words. "When I was younger, I watched a man burn to death trying to save his daughter only for both of them to die. It was during my first year at U.A and at that moment I decided to become a hero. I thought if I was the number one hero, the strongest hero, I could prevent anything like that from happening again. I was too obsessed with strength, I figured it was all that mattered. When I realized I could never be the strongest because of my quirk's drawbacks, I decided a child of mine without that drawback could fulfill my ambition for me. In a meta way, it only made sense to me. I've saved a lot of people throughout my career, but the Hero Killer was right about me. I was never able to be a true hero to anyone, especially to those who needed one."

"Good to know you cared so much at one point. That's really the only thing that kept you from passing All Might. The best heroes, and leaders, are the ones who care the most, and it's that care that kept All Might in the top spot. You allowed your ambition to corrupt the qualities that could have led to many positive endeavors. You never answered my question, did you want to be a father? Because it sounds to me you wanted a successor who happened to share your blood, and anything like fatherly love wasn't part of the deal." The older man's expression told him all he needed to hear, "Surely a quirk doctor told you designing children was taboo and pretty messed up. You wanted children but not to be a father."

"I didn't want any of this, ONE… I just.. Didn't think things would end up this way. I didn't want my children to die or hate me. I just… Couldn't give them anything but the world of heroes. I didn't know how to be anything but that. That's all I knew, I had nothing else to offer them."

ONE read him perfectly, "Who died?" The hero thought. "You may not have wanted it to be like this Endeavor, but your actions led to this. You made a choice, and like every other choice any other human being has made it has a consequence. From what I've seen most of your kids hold animosity towards you, understandably so, but it's never too late to make things right with those you've wronged. For some people it's not easy to say "I'm sorry" or admit they're wrong, but that's the first step and it goes a long way in the path to atonement." He could sense the hero's conflicting feelings.

Endeavor was done with this topic, "You said you spoke to Shoto, is he doing well?"

"He's fine. Arm's been reattached but he'll need some time away from the field. So his Work Study is on hold for the time being."

Endeavor inwardly sighed in relief, thankful Shoto was okay. "That's a relief."

ONE sighed, though he understands Endeavor a bit more, he still can't wrap his head around the actions he took with regards to his family, as if that was even the word to use for it. It made him empathize with Todoroki and his siblings, unable to imagine how they must have felt growing up because of Endeavor. "Well I came to check on you and make sure you were ok. Rest up. I'll ask you about those Stain details later" He turned to leave them room.

"ONE?"

He turned back to the older hero, "Yes?"

"Thank you."

ONE was shocked by this, never expecting Endeavor of all people to thank him. This was even more surprising then when he complimented him that day they raced to stop crime. Still, a good sign, "You're welcome." He almost left the room when he suddenly turned back, "Endeavor?" The hero met his gaze, "The words "I love you", while not always needing to be said and can be conveyed through action, just saying and meaning it DOES mean a lot to the people in your life who matter." Were his last words before leaving the hero's hospital room.

ONE left the hospital and made his way to Musutafu P.D, there was a hospital ward where injured villains were treated before being taken to prison. He made his way to the front desk, a woman with brown eyes and a blonde bob cut sat behind it. Her brown eyes met his, "Hello ONE." She raised a hand to quiet him from speaking, "I'm sure you're here to see the Hero Killer, but you'll have to wait before he's processed and moved to holding before you can interrogate him."

ONE's mouth was slightly opened, "But?" He began.

"We are greatly appreciative of everything you did last night. But he still needs to be checked out and cleared to be transported and tried. Plus I'm sure there are questions he needs to answer, it would be wiser for you to come back this afternoon to continue your business."

ONE deadpanned, slumping his shoulder, "Okay." He sighed.

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Shie Hassikai Main Base.

Overhaul was busy working on a bullet, his creative juices have been firing all morning as he finally finished the final product. He finally had the cure to completely annihilate a quirk, he could barely contain his excitement as his plans were entering the final stages, and once they had Eri back everything would be perfect. In a matter of time the Shie Hassaikai would be ruling over Japan from the shadows, he could only imagine the look on the boss's face once this was a reality.

"Overhaul?"

He continued working on a bullet and not turning from what he was doing, "What is it, Chrono?"

"We just got a call from Toga and Twice, apparently they saw Eri last night."

The Yakuza boss quickly stopped what he was doing and turned to his henchman, "That was quick, you're sure?" Desperation and hope were clear in his words.

"They said they were sure it was her. They think she was wearing a wig but everyone around her called her Eri."

"So she's in Musutafu… Who has her?"

"They don't know that, all they said was that it was some family. They said they tried to take her but ONE showed up and stopped them, luckily it was just a bunch of Twice's doubles."

"I knew it was a risk sending them to the city but I didn't expect them to find Eri so quickly. Did they say anything else?"

"No. only that they spotted Eri at a festival in town and tried to take her. If I had to guess, ONE was in the right place at the right time to stop them."

"He's that last person we need finding out about our operation. Let's assume for the moment he doesn't know anything about Eri, even the police in town don't know why we need her. The hero probably just thought he was saving a random kid." He paused for a moment, "We have to move quickly. Get Toga and Twice on the phone, we're going to Musutafu."

"Yes sir." The white cloaked yakuza pulled out his phone and called the hideout.

---

The school day came and went, Izuku stayed with his friends until they made it back to Musutafu. It was four o'clock and he quickly got into costume, ONE headed towards Musutafu P.D to interrogate Stain. Recovery Girl had been called in to fully heal his wounds, making him well enough to be moved into holding. He past Tsukauchi who was speaking to the cat-faced officer Tamakawa, he spotted the hero as he made his way towards them, "Good afternoon, ONE." The detective greeted the hero.

"Hello detective, how have you been today?"

"I've been alright. The Hero Killer is in custody, so that's one less thing for me to worry about."

ONE crossed his arms, "While we're on the topic, has he made a fuss, or tried to escape?"

"Surprisingly no, he's been quiet as a mouse since he was transferred from the medical wing. That being said, we've got him bound and waiting in Interrogation Room E. We tried to contact you three hours ago but you never picked up."

"I apologize for that. My hero phone is different from my civilian phone."

Tsukauchi shook off his response, "Anyway, he made it clear he wouldn't speak to anyone except you."

"I see. Excuse me." He walked past the two toward the interrogation room.

"Third row down to the left." Sensa stated as he left them. He turned back to Tsukauchi, "Do you think he'll get anything out of him?"

"Whether he does or doesn't, it doesn't change the fact Stain is headed to Tartarus. And since he was involved in that prison break, hopefully ONE can get some intel out of him." The cat-faced man nodded at his words, looking to the back of the independent hero, hoping all goes well.

ONE looked through the safety glass of the interrogation room, there he saw Stain, restrained in a straight jacket and a look that was surprisingly calm though a flash of anger was still visible. He opened the door to the room, the Hero Killer's eyes fell on the hero when he entered, ONE sensed the feelings inside the man at that moment, a mix of joy, relief and disappointment. The two were silent as ONE took a seat in front of him, the two eyed each other for a moment before the hero decided to break the ice. "Your wounds seemed to have healed up nicely, Akaguro." He said using Stain's family name on purpose.

"It's Stain! And you did that on purpose didn't you?"

ONE smiled, "I totally did~!" His jovial tone seemed to ease the tension a bit. "You failed your last mission. Both Endeavor and Shoto have been treated and are recovering nicely.

The killer grit his teeth, angry at these facts, "So those fakes survived?"

"Of course they did. I wasn't going to let them die." He sensed the anger and disappointment building within the killer, his eyes met the hero's, "Does that anger you?"

"Irritatingly so." He responded with venom.

ONE continued to smile, "I can imagine. I'm actually impressed. I told the police, as well as Endeavor that you were in town, but you still got to him."

"It wasn't hard. It only took a day to find out where he lived, his children were the result of his fraudulence, not the cause or product, so they weren't my targets."

"And the Flaming Sidekickers?"

"They're fools who willingly follow Endeavor. I'd have finished them off after I was done with him and his son but you intervened."

"Thank goodness for my impeccable timing." He joked, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "It didn't have to be this way, you know."

"Yes it did. If it wasn't me it just would have been someone else. Someone had to change this world back to its rightful state. Judge me all you want, ONE, but you can't deny I was able to weed out the fakes. Now the people have a relative image of what a true hero looks like ." His gaze pierces the hero, "Kinda like you."

ONE's eyes narrowed behind his cowl "How do you figure?"

"Remember what you said about people learning how to be a hero? How many frauds were, and still ARE, jealous of you so they worked harder to meet your standard. How many more worked harder because of their fear of me? Many showed their true colors after The Storm."

The hero was quiet as he registered the man's words, " If I motivate people to do better I'm more than fine with it. While everyone doesn't just HAVE the natural instincts of a hero, I'm a firm believer that those who pursue the path of a hero can learn what it means to be worthy of that designation… It's undeniable that heroes have been working harder to keep the peace, this is especially true in cities you've visited. In that sense fear became a decent motivator. But I stand by my statement that you chose the easier of two options."

"Nothing about my mission was easy. If it were, I wouldn't have ended up here now."

"Arrested and on your way to prison, or living the life of a serial killer?"

"For the sake of argument let's say both."

"You know you could make the argument that you've endangered many people. You said everything you do is to make a stronger society, did that mean endangering the public was a part of it.

"A weak, fraudulent hero is as good as a useless hero."

"Like Uwabami?" A wave of pressure came with the seriousness of his words.

"That was a celebrity, not a hero!"

"She had a side job!" He exclaimed. "Rescue heroes like her can only use their quirks in specific situations. She's saved thousands of people from natural disasters, she was one of the first called for rescue operations. And because you couldn't think broader, you chose to snuff that out."

"I decided that fraud didn't deserve the title of hero, it was only natural the weaker of us would be culled."

"Of course." ONE lowly sighed, completely un-surprised by his response. It still bothered him that his failure to stop him in Hosu led to all of this. "Alright… Now that I have you I have some choice questions for you, and I expect an answer." His voice was stern as their eyes met, "Where is Tachibana, and what is she planning?"

Stain was silent, his question registering. He and Tachibana had several conversations about ONE since she saved him from arrest, and though she wouldn't tell him his name it was clear she thought highly of him. He figured the two had a shared past but he couldn't be sure. "ONE… What do you think of this super human society? How do you think it works?"

The hero was perplexed at his question, he figured his thoughts on it would be pretty clear by now. " I think this society built on heroes and quirks has many positives, but there are many downsides. The largest of which is the idealization of quirks. Many people build their entire identity on what their quirk can do, their power gives them validation as "Special". While there's nothing wrong with being born with an amazing power, and being confident in your abilities, it often hurts more than it helps from carrying that mindset. People are often overly reliant on their quirks, this builds confidence, but it fuels an outright dangerous level of arrogance and ignorance. The same ignorance that tried to make me feel that being born quirkless was a bad thing, that there was something wrong with me."

"The way the laws are set up, this can also create people who have a desire, but don't know how to use their powers. So they use them for stupid things and make bad decisions. That lack of an outlet tends to make many "Villains"." ONE lowered his head, "And as for who runs this society." ONE leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and eying the killer, "I assume you're expecting me to say "The Government". But given your tone and that look in your eyes, I take it there's some hidden truth I don't know?"

Stain smirked, "YGood perception." He paused for a moment, "While that may be true, the fact is that the darkness if this society goes deeper than you could possibly know."

His tone intrigued the hero, curious as to where he was going with this. "I've seen my fair share of darkness since becoming a hero. What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean that you don't live in the society you think you do. It's actually a heavily and carefully crafted system. A farce in order to make it into their image. Everything from heroes selected, their presence in the public, the recognition they receive and the problems they solve. All of it is to create a picture perfect image. The masses, ignorant to the truth, all the while this machine known as "Hero Society" keeps functioning as intended… It's the Public Safety Commission… They are the ones who truly run hero society. Along with that, they train their own heroes that are more akin to soldiers and pull all the strings… Here's something I doubt you know, your friend Hawks is one of them. Do you remember that hijacking the day we met?"

"It's hard to forget something like that. I did some investigating and found the hijackers were brainwashed by a group calling themselves the Villain Factory. All For One was their biggest contributor, but surprisingly the group has been quiet for a while now."

"Well they're dead. The name Villain Factory isn't even on the lips of the public, that's intentional. They're just one of many villainous organizations who were assassinated and deliberately kept out of the public. Eliminating people before they can possibly become a threat, putting up a positive front to glorify heroism while in the background essentially bastardizing the word. That is the true function of this hero society.

Outside the room Tsukauchi and several other officers listened in on what Stain was saying. This was new information to everyone, the Public Safety Commission was essentially the institution responsible for the hero regulations and the one's in charge of managing hero affairs. Tsukauchi kept a stern expression, a part of him unsure if he should even be hearing this. His dedication to justice pushed aside any concerns he had and compelled him to listen more. "Tsukauchi, should we stop him?" Sensa asked, concern apparent in his voice.

"No, let him keep talking. We can look to confirm it later, but as of now this is interesting information."

"Hawks?" ONE thought aloud, his eyes never left the killer's. He allowed him to fully say what he intended to and his revelation was not as shocking as he thought it would be. "I figured there were people in positions of power who make this society function. Manipulation of the media is a textbook example of that. How does this tie into what Tachibana is planning?"

"She wants to tear it all down… No, that's not exactly right… She wants to create a state of chaos, an era where only true heroes can rise to maintain peace. A peace not created by twisted bureaucratic administrators who bastardize the word Hero, but peace brought about by true heroes."

Many thoughts ran through ONE's mind after hearing his response. Tachibana wants to create a state of chaos in order for true heroism to shine? He fully understood what Stain had said but there were still pieces missing from this story. He needed to find Tachibana and find out what exactly happened to her for her to go down this route. What about Lady Nagant?"

Stain's aura shifted at this question, "She was one of the commission victims. Someone who wanted to be a hero but had her ideas corrupted by their sense of justice. When she tried to leave, and keep her ideals of heroism, she was tossed into Tartarus to rot." A small smile formed on his lips, "We're quit alike actually."

"So lady Nagant was one of these commission trained heroes?"

"She even helped train Hawks. Who, given what she said, is probably the most two faced hero they've ever trained."

"Hmph, Hawks does have a mysterious side about him. Be that as it may I still consider him a friend, and I plan on having a talk with him about this."

"Good luck with that. These people thrive on control, and having things done their way."

As Stain spoke, ONE's thoughts went to the day he first met Hawks. He'd wanted to know about the USJ attack and even after he told him, the mentioning of Tachibana seemed to startle him, though it only lasted a moment. He recalls asking him about her but Hawks shrugged it off, though it was clear they had a connection. Now to find out Hawks was secretly trained by the Public Safety Commission, and Tachibana broke into Tartarus to free someone who was in that same program, his thoughts came together as he eyed Stain. "Stain, was Tachibana a part of that group with Hawks and Lady Nagant?"

The Hero Killer smiled widely, "You finally got it!" He exclaimed, startling thoughts outside with sudden outburst. "The only difference between Tachibana and the other two is that they could never bound her. She kept a commitment to heroism and justice in her heart those bastards at the commission couldn't corrupt. My mission may be over, but hers is just starting."

ONE noted of the look in Stain's eyes, it was slightly alarming, "And where exactly can I find her?"

"Couldn't say." Stain replied, obviously lying.

"So you don't intend to give her up." ONE turned away from the villain and took a breath, "She's my old Senpai. When I first began my training she was one of the few people who believed in me, and helped me." He met the man in his eyes, "Stain? This hero society may be messed up, but it's not a lost cause. And if she wants to create a state of chaos, false heroes won't be the only one's dragged into it, the blood of innocent people will be shed and many may lose their lives and I can't allow that. Tell me where she's hiding. Please, I've got to stop her?"

Silence filled the room as the killer's response was in waiting, Stain met his eyes and in them ONE saw and sensed nothing but calm and acceptance coming from him. "We're allies in the same fight. We both seek to change this world for the better. I've told you enough, now find her yourself." ONE sighed at his words, "But I will tell you this, ONE. A revolution is on the horizon. I don't see you getting out of the way, so I suggest you get on board."

ONE registered his words, "There are still pieces to this story that I'm missing. I sense that you're not lying at all, but I can't just let you endanger the lives of the innocent just to prove a point… Stain, your actions may have created the discourse of what constitutes a true hero, but your choices and the way you went about it were undoubtedly wrong. I told you before, you could have led by example and showed others what a hero should really be. That look in your eyes hasn't changed, and because you made the wrong choice it has to end like this. Because of that you'll always be the Hero Killer… But you could have been MORE~." ONE stood up, "I hope that… You keep those thoughts and the heart of a hero." He turned to leave the room, "Goodbye… I'm going to find Tachibana, this Era of chaos you mentioned. I won't let it come to pass. All Might may not be here anymore, but it doesn't matter, because I Got This." Stain said nothing as he looked to his back, ONE left the room, leaving Stain with his thoughts.

This was effectively the end of his mission, he was going to Tartarus. If he didn't get "Life" he'd be lucky. Honestly he hoped he'd be dead before it ever came to this, but in true hero fashion he was spared. He had no regrets whatsoever, he chose this path and though he wished it was longer and had more of an impact on society, he was able to at least start a conversion. True heroism is slowly fading from this society, he saw that early on and wanted to save it. Quirks are the norm, and hero is a job. Just the concept of those two things being intertwined infuriated him to no end. Maybe he could have become a hero who led by example, but he figured this hero society was too far gone. He turned to ONE as he left the room, "If I had met someone like you early on, things may have been different."

ONE sensed Stain's eyes on him, but didn't turn to face him. "You could have been the ideal hero, but you chose to be the Hero Killer… Goodbye Stain."

ONE left the room, walking to exit the hospital, the new information fresh in his head and a serious desire to get more answers, and stop his old senpai.

---

Shie Hassaikai Musutafu Hideout.

"So.. You said you found Eri?" Overhaul asked, standing in front of Twice and Toga while he was guarded by Nemoto and Chrono.

Twice saluted, "Yes sir, Mr Overhaul Sir! We saw he last night, she's definitely here in Musutafu!"

"I watched her several times throughout the festival, if people didn't call her by her name I never would have known it was her."

"Do you know where she is, and what family she's staying with?"

"That we don't know. But we're certain we saw her." Twice responded.

"So you have nothing?" Overhaul stated.

Twice raised his hands in defense, "No no, we confirmed she was in this city. I tried to take her with my doubles but ONE showed up. If that were the real us we'd both be in jail right now."

"Well lucky you." Overhaul's tone was nonchalant, but internally he was overjoyed. They finally had a lead on Eri, the finished product was done, things were finally falling back into place.

Toga eyed Overhaul, "Shouldn't you be happy, at least a little? Your daughter is somewhere in the city, you've been looking for her for a long time, right?"

"I am happy. Do you remember where your clones were when they found her?

Twice went silent for a moment as he thought, "They were near this ice cream shop called Heavenly Creamery. One of my Toga doubles took a mental note of it at the time."

"Then that's where we're going. But before that, what happened to ONE?"

"I already told you, he took out all my doubles like it was nothing! It was freaking terrifying when those memories came back to me."

"ONE's been after the League ever since Tomura attacked U.A. He knows we're here so It's not smart for us to still be here. We got you what you were looking for, and now we're leaving." Toga stated, her tone not entertaining a debate in the matter.

The three Yakuza took in their words, this clearly wasn't an ask. Overhaul decided to placate them. Coincidence or not, they got more info in two days than they've gotten in months. "Fine. "I'll be calling more men to help with the search. He and his henchmen turned to leave, he returned a look back at them, "Good work, you two." He said with expressionless casualness. The three Yakuza left the hideout, leaving the two villains inside.

Toga's casual expression morphed into a sly smile, "Wow, that was easier than I thought."

Twice gestured to her, excitedly, "Step one of your plan's in motion, Toga!"

"I knew that bird masked freak would rush over here when he knew we found the girl. Even knowing that ONE's onto them and knows they're looking for her they still rushed over here. That tells me he's been keeping tabs on her. Given what you told him last night about their secret passage, he'll definitely put more attention on them. And even if he finds her, ONE will crush them as they try to take her or bust into their base to save her. We just have to make sure we're there to get revenge for Big Sis Mag after the fact.

"Hm, I didn't know you were such a broad thinker, Toga."

Toga raised her arms and stretched, "When I feel like it. C'mon, we need to go find some people to make good disguises."

"Right behind ya!"

Overhaul?" Chrono asked, noting the shift in his leader at this new information.

"Get Tengai on the phone. I want the Eight Bullets to come out here to look around."

The white cloaked Yaluza didn't argue, "On it."

"We'll find her, Boss. Things will go back to normal in no time."

"I'll be more secure about everything once we find Eri."

---

Kashik

After knocking out a few requests on the app, and handling some incidents along the way, ONE made it to Kashik to follow up on Twice's info. He walked along Shiki Street and Marechi Drive. This was the place where Twice told him where the entrance to one of Shie Hassikai's secret passages was. As he looked around the area looked vaguely familiar, it dawned on him that this was close to where he first met Eri, meaning this passage was the one she must have escaped from. He activated his scanner and spotted an alleyway with a door that led down a flight of stairs. While normally it could be just a basement of the building, he decided to check it out as it fit what Twice had described to him. "Intech, are you there?"

After a moment his sidekick answered, "Reading you loud and clear, ONE."

"I think I may have found the entrance to the secret passage Twice told me about. Assuming this is the right place, I'll be releasing Spy Flies to map out the tunnels."

Intech hit a couple keys, "Alright, let them loose when you're ready."

Upon opening the door and descending the stairs the hero saw that before his was a wide, brightly lit hallway that went who knows where. He figured this was just one of several passages and couldn't help but be impressed. This was how they were able to so easily move in the shadows undetected. ONE opened the pouch on his belt that contained his case of Spy Flies, opening it and the eyes of all the tiny insect robots lit up, signifying their activation. They freed themselves from the case and began to fly.

"Spy Flies are a go. You do what you have to and anything you overlook they'll pick it up for you. We don't know how vast these tunnels are, if I had to guess, the Yakuza had someone with a digging quirk build these." Intech said.

ONE agreed, "My thoughts exactly."

"Be on your guard. You said a Twice double was eager to tell you about this place, this could be a trap or some kind of set up on their end."

"I hear you. Not to mention if Overhaul sent them to Musutafu to look for Eri and they succeeded in finding her. There's a chance they tipped him off. That, coupled with Twice' information about this tunnel is all the reason I need to finally put them down."

"I agree with you on that, but do you think it was smart to not keep Eri inside for the time being? They made an attempt on her after all."

"I have considered that. But Eri's had a sense of security and normality since she came to live with us, and I don't want to jeopardize that."

Intech sighed on the other end of the line, a bit worried as they were leaving part of this to chance. Call it a hunch, but he couldn't escape the thoughts he had about Eri safety, and though ONE's actions came from a loving place, that same love was affecting his judgment. If he weren't so attached to Eri and she was any other kid he's saved, he wouldn't leave things to chance like this. "ONE, I'm going offline for a while."

"Okay, where are you going?"

"This incident with Twice and Toga has got me cautious, I'm going to give Eri something I should have given her months ago."

And that is?"

"A special charm necklace."

He figured the necklace was a tracker of some kind. In all honesty he should have given her something like that when she first came to live with them but he never got around to it. "Alright, I'm sure she'll like it." He then remembered something happened last night, "Intech? I just remembered my mom set up a playdate for Eri today."

"Noted. Give them a heads up and tell them I'm coming. I'll be there in about fifteen."

"Alright." He pulled out his hero phone and gave his mom a quick call.

"Hello, son." His mom answered after a couple rings.

"Hi mom. I'm just calling to let you know Intech's coming over to give a necklace to Eri. It's a tracker just in case something happens."

"We're already at the Olstons. I'm sure we'll be fine, just tell him he can come by the house later."

Hearing his mom's optimism shook off any worries the hero had. "Alright. Actually I'll go get it and give it to her when I come home."

"That's fine. Don't work too hard, Izuku."

"I'll be fine."

He ends his call and gets back to the matter at hand, the Spy Flies were doing their thing so ONE took off into a sprint down the hallway. He was in the Yakuza secret passage and he was sure this would lead to their base at some point, he needed to get moving, and who knows what he'd discover in these passages. He was a green blur moving through the tunnels, ONE had quickly found about three exits, all leading to a different section of the city. It was very impressive, but he still hasn't found where these tunnels originated. He suspected it was from the Shie Hassaikai's main base, but it was hard finding where that was given the complexity of the tunnels.

"ONE, can you hear me?" The voice of Chuntaro Fujiwara came into his cowl, forcing him to stop running.

"Yes sir, loud and clear. This is unexpected, what can I do for you? Is everything fine with Intech?"

"Besides being a threat to nature, he's fine. I actually want to speak with you because I have a case for you."

ONE narrowed his eyes slightly at his tone, "What's the problem, sir?"

"Long story short, I made twenty prototype battle suits for the government and now they seem to have gone missing. Apparently a security guard who was guarding the warehouse is the prime suspect, as he too is also missing. I need you to find him, destroy the suits or preferably reclaim them."

ONE stopped himself, "I can do that. But how did he get them in the first place? I take it this was a government warehouse, it couldn't have been easy to get them."

"That's the missing piece of the puzzle isn't it. All I can confirm at the moment is that he had help from an Ash haired woman."

"Ash haired?" He thought aloud before lowering his head, knowing it had to be her, "Damn it Senpai!" He inwardly exclaimed.

"Ironically this woman seemed to somehow have the codes to unlock the suits. Which is strange, because I made these years ago and only a select few people even know they exist."

"Didn't you make a failsafe? A way to shut the suits down if the need ever arised?"

"While normally I would have, these were only prototypes, and they've been under nothing but improvement and maintenance since I made them. I should also mention they went missing a week ago. The only reason I know about this now is because Yamato called and told me."

"So this situation is serious enough for the Prime Minister to reach out for help." ONE thought as he registered all the information. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. What exactly am I dealing with?"

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle. The suits are made of a durable metal alloy of my own creation, the energy they exude increases the wearer's strength by several hundred percent. Despite how bulky they look, they also provide maximum mobility. "I'm sending you a picture of the suits and the suspect now, check your hero phone." An alert came through on his phone, ONE looked to see that the doctor had sent him a photo of the suits and profile of a man named Ouka Neekis. He was bald with a large head, while the suits were black and bulky looking.

"Ouka Neekis, 215 centimeters tall, weighing 210 kilograms. I see the suits, and if they're as impressive as you described, someone like him should be pretty strong. Any ideas where he may be, or plans he may have for the suits?"

"At the moment all we can do is speculate. Yamato doesn't want the truth of those suits being government property to get out, so if you don't mind handling this case discreetly before they make the news or something."

"I'll do my best."

"Good luck, ONE."

---

Nagano

Ryukyu and her work study students were patrolling the city from above, looking for crime. Villainous activity had gone up in several cities since All Might's retirement and villains were trying to take advantage of the chaos. While many were trying to take advantage of the chaos, many heroes were still on high alert. All Might's retirement and the recent actions of villains both in the light and in the shadows motivated them, while ONE's words and actions motivated the heroes to maintain peace. "The city looks really beautiful from a bird's eye view." Uravity stated. She, Froppy and Creati were riding onRyukyu's back as Nejire-Chan used her quirk to fly next to them.

"I wanted you girls to see this, sight from above is beneficial, however, more than that, you should use all your senses to detect a crime before it happens. This is something I learned when I was very young, and was able to add it to my hero repertoire.

Froppy put a finger to her cheek, "So how long does it take to get to that level?"

"It varies, person to person. But the best advice I can give is to focus all of your senses and take it one case at a time."

Creati was looking to the city below from Ryuyu's back, "My master told me something similar once. Since then, and seeing ONE apply the same techniques to his hero work made me want to do the same thing."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot you and I share a master, Creati." Ryukyu stated.

"And she taught me a lot." She sensed a disturbance and prepared to jump from her back, "Sorry in advance Ryukyu." The creation girl jumped from her back just as a series of explosions went off in the distance. The Everything Hero rockets towards the scene, putting her hands to her sides and folding them sideways and her costume released a red fabric that connected to her hands. Bringing her hands up she formed wings that allowed her to glide,
I'm so glad I added these to my costume."

"Creati!" Ryukyu yelled after her as she took off.

"When did she add glider wings to her costume?" Uravity asked.

"I think it was around the same time Kaminari wanted his lightning pointers." Froppy answered.

Both Ryukyu and Nejire-Chan soared after her, both noticing the explosions and quick to stop the villain, all while being worried about Creati.

A building came down, people were running for their lives. In the midst of this chaos was a green skinned man, with pointy ears, red eyes and a grotesque appearance. He was missing an arm and fear of what was to come was prevalent on his face. "Karasu! This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Strange, because as I recall it always was." Said a man with long black hair, blue eyes, wearing a silver face mask along with a jet black vampire-like cloak. He touched the green skinned man's shoulder and appeared a great distance in front of him. Horror consumed him as in the next moment he was blown to pieces in a powerful explosion.

Karasu turned to look at his handy work, "Pitiful fools, always the easiest of pawns." His eyes turned to the right, noticing what seemed to be a female hero flying towards him at blistering speeds. She was almost within striking range, the two locked eyes, Karasu shifted to dodge her, in that same moment Karasu created a bomb and placed it in her flight path. An explosion rang as the red clad heroine shot past him. Karasu turned from the blast, he felt the heat of the explosion as he looked up and saw Ryukyu accompanied by several other clearly young heroes. He readied himself for battle before shooting a quick glance behind him, "A young hero dies so stupidly. It almost saddens me." Karasu thought aloud as he turned his back, the next instant he sensed attack and before he could turn around he felt a heavy blow to the back of his neck, pain coursed through his body as he was sent flying from the force of Creati's kick.

Karasu crashed into a building, Creati stood firm, landing gracefully. Her costume was a little burned but was otherwise ok. As she looked into the rubble she kicked the villain into she couldn't help but think of the attack just now, his quirk reminded her much of her own. She was able to swat the bomb he placed in her path to the side, though admittedly she could barely see it, negating much of the damage. She saw how he killed the man from before, she knew to stay on her toes. Creati narrowed her eyes at her enemy, whom she sensed rising up in the rubble, a moment later he came out of the building, a few injuries on him but mostly alright.

"So, you managed to survive my attack did you? Not entirely at least."

"It was by a narrow margin, but I was able to deflect the explosive you put in my path. I'm unsure of what your goals are but the deviation you have wrought ends now."

"You're extremely brave, or extremely foolish. After seeing my quirk it is rare for anyone to go through with fighting me." Creati eyes shifted slightly, "I've always been curious as to why heroes would subject themselves to this. Is it a hero's responsibility, guilt, or something personal?"

The aura coming off of this man screamed death, but Creati was able to shake it off. "Your quirk may be dangerous, Villain, but I told you before all of this is over… And I suggest you not underestimate me."

Karasu replied with a mere, "Hmph" before raising his right hand which glowed with a green aura.

Creati noticed this shift in her opponent, "His hands are the source of his quirk, just like Bakugo. If I can immobilize them, I can beat him!" She thought as she tucked her hands back and began creating three exploding shuriken that she tossed at Karasu at bullet speeds. Karasu merely raised a hand and the shuriken exploded before they reached him, shocking the young hero. "They didn't even touch them and they exploded. Did he deactivate them mid flight somehow?" She thought, clearly surprised.

"You seem surprised. It seems you miscalculated, Hero. My hands are not the source of my power, but a vessel. Unless I want you too, you can't see my explosions at all, so you feel safe and secure if you target my hands. But it's everywhere, even in the air you're currently breathing."

"Block him out!" Creati inwardly exclaimed.

"Creati!" Ryukyu called out just as she, Nejire-Chan, Froppy and Uravity touched down, surrounding the villain. "You shouldn't have engaged him on your own!"

"I just reacted to the destruction, I'm sorry! Anyway, this guy creates powerful explosions out of nowhere using his hands. I tried to immobilize him but he's adept at long range combat.

"Very." Karasu stated as four explosions went off in the back of Creati's allies, they all dropped to the ground in pain, Ryukyu was the worst as she hadn't fully healed.

"Everyone!" Creati called out in concern.

"We don't need a peanut gallery." Karasu spoke, breaking her thoughts. "Creati, that's your hero name isn't it?" She nodded to answer. "I like you, and I find when I like something I often like to take it away." His words were calm and disturbingly charming.

"Are you asking me to become a villain?"

The next second Karasu was in her face, his right hand outstretched, "No, I'm telling you to die."

Creati narrowly dodged his swipe, his nails slightly cutting her right cheek. Karasu continued to swipe at her, Creati dodged each attack swiftly, knowing if his hand touched her it was certain death. Karasu's attack became faster, "His attacks are becoming sharper and more brutal. If I don't try to end this soon I'll be killed." She thought in the midst of her dodging. Karasu disappeared from her sight, sensing he was above her the heroine jumped back to dodge a strike from above, the villain's hand cracking the ground where she previously stood.

"That was way too close." She thought as her left arm felt warm, a moment later an explosion went off, the pain of burning and impact tore through her left side, hitting her harder as it was unexpected and making her bleed.

Karasu's expression remains blank yet satisfying, "Perhaps I should explain my power. It's similar to yours as we both create things, however I use my vitality to create tangible things from my imagination."

Creati gripped her left arm, trying to contain the blood loss, "So it's as I thought!" She thought as Karasu raised his right hand.

"Take the object I'm holding in my hand for instance. You can't see it, but it is still very real, and VERY deadly."

"He can mask the things he creates, even I can't do that!" Creati thought through gritted teeth. "If I can barely see his bombs this will only be an uphill battle." He thoughts shifted to the bomb she deflected when she first arrived, she barely saw that one but she was able to swat it away by sensing it at the last moment.

Karasu leaped into the air and swung his hand, clearly tossing whatever he was holding, time seemed to slow down as this happened, Creati focused her senses, enhancing her sight and she was able to spot what looked like a wad of dynamite with skull headed ends flying towards her. Her first instinct was to dodge but she remembered her injured comrades, she had to contain the blast and reduce damage as much as possible. She quickly created a Sakabato from her hand and spun, "Creati Tatsumaki!" The explosion went off with the tornado channeling the blast upward, saving everyone. A fiery tornado shot into the air before dispersing, revealing and uninjured Creati as well as her allies. The air was still hot from the flaming whirlwind, and Karasu was clearly surprised to see his opponent alive and unharmed.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises?"

Creati raised her sword, ready to strike as she now fully understood how dangerous this villain was. "I can see your concealed explosions now, not that I was ever afraid of something I couldn't see."

"Is that so?" Two balls of green light appeared in Karasu's left hand, the light faded as four green, grotesque looking flesh balls with small bat wings appeared, each with a single large, yellow reptile-like eyeball.

"I see now. You create monsters that act as invisible bombs. I commend you for your ability to hide their presence, however they're quite grotesque. Your mind must be quite horrifying if this is what you imagine."

"Shut up." Karasu stated as flung the bombs at her still injured allies.

With four fast thrusts of her sword Creati fired shockwaves that destroyed all of them before they could hurt them, "I believe we've had enough of that." Ryukyu finally stood up, pushing past the pain in her back, "Ryukyu, take the others and check the area for any injured. I'll take care of this." Her words were confident as she eyed the hero, needing her permission to continue."

Ryukyu looked the younger hero in the eyes, "Alright Creati, be careful." The others looked in worry but her aura assured them. Uravity, Froppy and Nejire-Chan wished her luck before leaving with Ryukyu.

Creati noticed as Ryukyu gathered up the others to leave, Karasu never took his eyes off of her. If he wanted he could have attacked, she was surprised that he didn't. "You let them leave. Why did you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at her enemy.

Karasu, with hands in his pockets, met her gaze, "Because they don't interest me in the slightest."

Creati took a stance, "It's not as if it matters, but I never asked before, but why are you doing this?"

There was a pause in the battle as the two locked eyes, "For intimacy." Karasu answered.

"Intimacy?"

"Yes, I found there's no greater rush than taking the life of someone you care for. It's actually a shame circumstances couldn't have been different for us." His words made the heroine feel slightly uncomfortable. "But it doesn't really matter. Even things that seem ideal always turn sour, I'm just speeding up the process. The intimacy between murderer and victim truly is unparalleled. Witnessing their spirits separate from the bodies, there's nothing more intimate than that."

Creati's uncomfortability was replaced with disgust, "You're demented!"

Two dozen green balls of light appeared behind Karasu which formed into monster looking bombs, "Say what you will." The bombs flew towards Creati. The hero swiftly dodged the explosives while using her sword to destroy them. Karasu tried to blitz her from her blind side, the heroine disappeared in a flash of speed, and to Karasu's shock both his hands were sealed in metal bracers. Kaarasu's eyes widened as he didn't see her create them, let alone slap them onto him, "When did she-" His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a brutal blow to his chest and chin, sending him into the air and knocking off his mouth.

Following up with her uppercut slash, Creati rushed after him as he reached a height of 100ft. Using the surrounding buildings, she rocketed at the villain delivering dozens of brutal slashes from all angles. The villain had now way of defending himself, the pain coursing through him was beyond intense, he was sure his right arm as well as several of his ribs were broken. He'd only realized just now she was using a reverse edge sword, given the beating he's taken, he coughed up blood, now realizing his mask was gone. His thoughts distracted him as in a flash of speed she appeared above him, flipping and landing a heavy slash to his left shoulder, sending him back to the ground leaving him in a large crater. Creati landed, for a moment feeling the fight was over but she sensed Karasu still had fight left in him, she took a quick glance at her nine o'clock and saw Karasu's mask. Walking up to the crater he saw Karasu still breathing and his silky jet black hair turning wavy blonde, his blue eyes met her onyx one's, her senses forcing her to jump back from her enemy.

"What was that?.. All my senses are telling me he's more dangerous than ever." She thought as Karasu stood up in the crater, he was clearly very hurt, he had one broken arm and was covered with injuries, But his aura was as sinister as ever, but the now blonde haired villain stepped out of the crater, his body emitting a green aura and a confident yet sinister smile on his face.

He coughed up some blood, but wasn't bothered by it in the slightest, "You've done well entertaining me, Creati. But it's over now." Karasu opened his mouth and took a long deep breath, the aura surrounding him became brighter and thicker. Her senses felt the danger coming from him increase by the second. Her thoughts were firing as she assessed the situation, "He's concentrating his energy into his body, essentially making him one giant explosion!" The green aura emitting from Karasu grew even brighter and larger, "What do I do? What can I do!.. If he goes off the blast will be huge, there are still people around here." As she thought this, Karasu jumped into the air. Her eyes widened, "That's it! Thank you Fujiwara!" he thought as she leaped into the air towards Karasu. She created a metal flame proof net as she began to spin, ensnaringing the villain and tossing him higher into the air. In spite of his surprise, Karasu's body was enveloped in a green aura before releasing a massive explosion.

The light of the afternoon sun was replaced by a green light that blacketed a portion of downtown, shocking and surprising all from its sound, brightness and heat. Creati looked up at the massive blast that would have taken out an several blocks and killed many had she not tossed him out of the blast range. She never took her eyes off of where Karasu was in the blast, the light of the explosion faded and she spotted Karasu falling, still wrapped up in the net. "So that held. I'll really need to thank Fujiwara next time I see him." Karasu was about to hit the ground, Creati fired an air slash, softening his fall and allowing him to hit the ground not as hard as he would have. The red clad heroine approached the wrapped up villain and saw he was barely conscious. "It's over."

Karasu groaned, exhausted as he put all of his vitality in that last explosion, "Damn it all!" He exclaimed through gritted teeth, he tried to fight his way out of the net but didn't have the strength. He continued to sprawl and try to fight his way out but only wasted the little energy he had left and was already on the verge of passing out.

"Stop fighting it. You'll never be able to break out of that net. It was made of a nigh indestructible alloy that is both flame proof and blast proof. Hence why your final explosion couldn't get you out of it."

Karasu's eyes were becoming heavy, he shot a quick glance back at Creati, she sensed a mix of emotions coming from him, anger, disappointment and surprisingly love. "I know I already said this, but's truly unfortunate circumstances couldn't have been different for us."

"I already have a boyfriend. Sorry, but someone like you could never compare to the man I love."

Karasu chuckled lightly, "Unfortunate… I knew I liked you." Were his final words before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Creati eyed him, her cat-like eyes confident that it was finally over. Police along with Ryukyu and the gang arrived at the scene, all injured had gotten to safety and would make a full recovery. Karasu was arrested and would be in prison by the time he woke up. Creati was thanked by the public as well as given praise by Ryukyu and her friends. Her first heroic job had gone without a hitch, showing the true results of all the training she put in all these years. A local journalist wanted to take a picture of her, blushing slightly, she agreed. The Everything Hero: Creati had made her debut, and she was now someone to watch in the city. Before the press could get too antsy Ryukyu stepped in and ended the talks as they had to get back to patrolling, thankfully the injuries on the girls weren't too bad. Creati was proud of herself, she took care of her first villain, and she would continue to move forward and get better.

---

Hassaikai tunnels

ONE was able to find tunnels that lead to two more exits, now he had five different escape routes these tunnels led to. He was sure there were more, and though he didn't have each and every path perfectly memorized he still had the Spy Flies mapping the tunnels and was sure in time he'd have them perfectly analyzed. He'd been down here for a few minutes, admittedly taking his sweet time getting a feel for these tunnels. When you're fast, time is one thing you have plenty of. Yamato's situation about those stolen suits still lingered on his mind, but for the moment he was focused on gathering as much information down here as he could. He was sure one of these tunnels led to their main base; he just needed to find it. ONE made his way through a hallway, the brightly lit hall and the silence created an almost ominous environment. "Hm, I really have to give credit to whoever made these tunnels, they're insanely complex." He thought aloud as he continued to look around, not allowing himself to have tunnel vision, " The lack of presence down here is a bit boggling, plus I haven't spotted a single camera since I've been here." Just as he said these words he sensed several presences nearby.

He stopped at an intersecting hall, he turned to the hall to his left, "There they are." He took a breath, I sense.. Three of them. Let's see where this leads." He thought as he headed towards the people he sensed. He didn't make a sound as he approached the group of three, he could hear them talking, one voice in particular sounded very familiar. Just before he exited the hall he activated his "Invisibrate" technique, becoming invisible and upon exiting the hall he spotted three masked Yakuza heading towards him. One had blond hair, wearing a black yukata with a gray obi and a black plague mask, the other was a tiny black creature wearing a white plague mask on the left shoulder of the last man. He was taller and more muscular than the other two, wearing a black and red face mask, with a white t-shirt, black jeans and boots and a light blue tunic around his waist. It had been months and the hero hadn't seen him since the Underground Masquerade, he suspected he left with the Yakuza but never had his confirmation until now. "Rappa." The hero thought as they walked closer to him, completely unaware that he was in front of them. The hero jumped to the wall to the left of him, angeling himself and watching them pass him from above.

"So remind me again, we're going to Musutafu because Overhaul finally found that kid?" Rappa asked the blonde yakuza.

The blonde yakuza, who kept his right hand tucked into his yukata, put his left hand to his temple, "Her name is Eri, Rappa. And yes, our boss has summoned us to Musutafu. Apparently Twice and Toga saw her last night, so Overhaul wants us to head to the city and aid him in finding her.

The little black creature was slightly annoyed, "I can't believe we've been looking for her for months and it took those outsiders only a day to find her."

"Get over it, Mimic. Finding Eri has been the boss's main objective for months and you know that. You think you're his right hand man, well act like it. Now that we have this chance we can make his dream a reality. And it all starts with getting Eri back."

Mimic groaned behind his mask, "Don't go telling me things I already know, Punk." He exclaimed in a surprisingly deep voice.

"Again, then act like it." Tengai retorted.

Mimic swallowed his retort, almost on the verge of attacking his fellow Yakuza, but relented, as his shield quirk was too strong and if a fight broke out there's a chance an excited Rappa may go out of control. So they needed to keep the peace as much as possible.

"Toga and Twice got lucky!" Rappa slammed his fists together, "I'm looking forward to this, I hope I get a chance to throw hands with him, it'll be the most fun I've had in weeks!"

Tengai kept his eyes closed and an arm tucked into his yukata, "Don't start with that Rappa. The boss made it clear for us to be discreet and tactful. We've been waiting for a moment like this and I won't let you ruin it by getting us all caught up in a confrontation with ONE."

"Yeah! Relax you stupid meathead!" Mimic practically yelled in his left ear.

Rappa grit his teeth, Mimic's yelling, irking him a bit. He snatched the tiny suited yakuza, "I'll kill you both!" He looked to the back of Tengai's head, "And what's your deal, you scared?"

The blonde yakuza didn't turn to face him, "Unlike some people I prefer to use my head a bit more. Fighting the second coming of All Might doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. This is the same hero who obliterated a meteor, pulverized the man even the boss is afraid of, oh, and did we forget he thwarted an alien invasion and potential planetary destruction." His tone was stern as he listed ONE's feats, this seemed to shut up Rappa for the moment. "Plus I understand what it means to be Yakuza. We operate in the shadows. We shouldn't be having confrontations with heroes because they shouldn't know what we're doing, let alone know we're criminals in the first place. Moving in silence, conducting business, expanding our control and influence, all while people are unknowingly eating out of our hands."

Rappa dropped Mimic, "Sounds boring as hell."

"Think what you will. As long as you're a member of this organization this is how you'll do things unless told otherwise."

Mimic jumped on Tengai's left shoulder, Rappa lowly groaned in annoyance at his pompous attitude. He strutted past the two, "Once I kill Overhaul I'm so out of here."

Tengai was completely unbothered by that remark, "Hmph, good luck with that. Let's get to Musutafu, the boss is waiting for us."

As the three went on their way, ONE watched them leave. He thought about attacking them and knocking them out as he didn't need those extra hands in Musutafu. He was worried that Twice and Toga's attempt on Eri meant they were working with the Yakuza, and it appears it was true. He got the feeling that there was more to discover in these secret tunnels, but he couldn't allow more threats to zone in on Eri. He jumped off the wall, "Good to know that's the plan. Too bad there's no chance I'm letting that happen."

This sudden voice startled all three Yakuza, "Who said that?!" Tengai asked, on edge.

ONE deactivated his technique, with ONE appearing before the Yakuza, "ONE!" Mimic exclaimed, clearly afraid. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Just looking around. Quite the array of complicated passages and tunnels you have down here. No wonder you're good at hiding in the shadows." He replied with a sly smile.

Tengai opened his eyes, a mix of fear and anger prevalent in his gaze, "How did you even know about this place?"

"Twice gave you up. He was kind enough to tell me about one of the entrances to these secret passages. It's fairly impressive how broad and expansive they are, I've almost got them all mapped out." He said with confidence, surprising the both black dressed yakuza.

Mimic was shaking with rage, "He did what!" He bellowed as he brought his hands to his head, "Those bastards! I knew we couldn't trust them!"

Tengai eyed the hero, trying to maintain his cool, being just as angry as Mimic. ONE was the last person they needed to know about the tunnels, he didn't seem like he was bluffing about the mapping and he's now in a position to bring down their entire operation. The boss was gone and was excited about the chance for things to go back to normal and now this happens. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough. To be honest I've known about your entire operation for months. I'm the one who found Eri and got her to somewhere safe. I know all about the quirk erasing bullets and that they were essentially made from Eri." Tengai and Mimic had no words as a wave of pressure passed over them, terrifying all three men to their core and ONE's presence becoming akin to death itself.

"What kind of monsters support and aid in the tortuous experimentation of an innocent little girl?" His tone may have been calm, but the anger in his voice was clear. They had been completely caught and cornered, and the longer ONE stood before them the more it was feeling like this was the end. The hero could see his will power was literally scaring them to death, as Mimic and Tengai had momentarily forgotten how to breathe. "I asked you men a question, now one of you kindly answers?" He asked, lightening the release of his Power Aura just slightly.

Tengai closed his eyes and swallowed, "She's a cursed child… Far from an "Innocent little girl", as you put it." He managed to see through his fear.

"You must be referring to Eri's father. It was an accident."

"Accident or not, it doesn't change the fact that that child causes nothing but pain. Her curse is indicative of that. At least the boss had the brilliant idea to make it beneficial, giving her some positive use in her sad existence."

Mimic's aura shifted to a more aggressive one, "All of this is for the Yakuza!" He roared as his large body got out of his tiny suit, revealing a large, muscular, spiky blonde haired man wearing a red dress shirt and gray pinstripe pants. "I don't care who they are, I won't let anyone get in his way!" He bellowed as he tried to seep into the wall.

Tengai prepared for battle, "Rappa, you can let loose."

A fiery smile spread across his face, "All I wanted to hear!" The brawler slammed his fist together and stepped towards the hero.

Before anyone could blink ONE was past Rappa, quickly and brutally slugging Tengai in the stomach. In that same motion he spins, elbowing Mimic in the head before he could merge with the wall, ONE fully spins and tosses him into Tengai with both hitting the floor. Rappa quickly turns around after hearing the noise and before he could react he receives a brutal spin kick to the left side of the head, causing his large body to spin sideways. After three spins, ONE grabbed his leg and slammed him onto Mimic and Tengai, cracking the ground beneath them. Seeing they were all down and alive, just really hurt, he dusted off his hands, "Well that's done. Sorry about that Rappa, I know you didn't want to be here. We'll have an honest rematch another time." He turned and took off into a light sprint down the hall.

"Overhaul is calling his men to Musutafu to look for Eri. Gotta get back to the city, but first I've got to gather evidence here, then the cops can shut all this down." As ONE sprinted through the passage he quickly incapacitated any random thugs he passed. He could sense the sounds of machinery and what was most likely a tv. He noted how there were several rooms down in the tunnels, most were just used for storage, while others led to large corridors, but they were far and inbetween. He was curious to what could be in the first room he's seen in this latest passage. He opened the door and the scent inside implied that no one had been in it in a while, turning on the light he saw a queen sized bed with a golden bed set. The walls were painted with clouds and rainbows, this was clearly a child's room, made evident from boxes of toys on the floor, all unopened. "This must have been Eri's room." He thought aloud.

There was a 50 inch plasma tv on a dresser in front of the bed, there were few clothes in it, but what stoked his curiosity the most was a notebook on the nightstand. He picked it up and opened it, the first page was full of drawings Eri had made. Her drawing's gotten better since he's known her, but he was sure he knew what these were, and they all had a meaning. One was a girl, holding hands with her parents, another was a girl looking up at birds flying away. But one that broke him was a girl, covered in red while two hands tried to grab her. It hurt his heart as it was clear Eri was expressing her pain and loneliness in these drawings, made clear from the fact the girl in all these drawings had a horn. It almost brought him to tears, he put the book back on the nightstand before leaving the room. "I'm so sorry, Eri." He thought aloud, again, upset he didn't save her sooner, noting to give her a big hug when all this was over. Behind his cowl, in his emerald eyes, was an intense fire of anger, "Overhaul, I swear you'll pay for this."

Upon leaving the room he followed the sound of machinery and opened the door to a darkly lit room, life support equipment being the only light illuminating the room. The equipment was also the only sound that could be heard inside, which was connected to an elderly man laying in a bed. As the hero drew closer and inspected the man, he recalled the day the police came to check on Eri. His eyes were closed but he was without question the man from the photo, the true head of the Shie Hassaikai. "Shiro Akashiya." ONE thought as he continued to inspect the state the man was in. "So this is where he's been. If what the police said was true, it's possible Overhaul did this. Maybe you rejected his plan to use Eri, and he did this to get you out of the way." He turned to leave, "This just means you're one more person I have to save." He thought as he left, closing the door behind him. Continuing on his way he had stopped himself as almost ran past an obvious lab, being able to see the inside from the window on the wall.

"Jackpot." He tried to open the door but the door was unlocked. "Well that shouldn't be surprising. "Phase ONE", he said, activating his technique and phasing through the door. He entered the relatively small lab, the first thing he took note of was the chair with multiple restraints, and that this room was notably more sterile than the others. He spotted multiple samples and test tubes on a lab island. He took note of the samples, "All of these are attempts at perfecting the quirk erasing bullets." He looked around the work area, "Just how much of Eri's DNA did he take and store?" As he thought this he spotted a small black case on a work desk, standing out compared to everything else. He picked it up and saw it was filled with five bullets. Next to the case was a notebook detailing all of Overhaul's research in making them, and apparently he was holding the finished product. These five bullets destroy a quirk completely.

"He did it… He actually did it." The hero thought aloud as he looked at the case. A mix of emotions entered him, part of him wanted to destroy the bullets right now, they were the culmination of Eri's suffering. But he knew if used wisely these would be important, so he swallowed any rejections he had, putting the case in his pocket and preparing to call the cops to take care of things here. As he pulled out his phone he saw three yakuza staring back at him through the window. One was blonde with a black plague mask, the other was bald with a white face mask, and the third had a white bag mask. Shock was prevalent on all their faces, completely surprised at seeing a hero going through their boss's stuff, but he's in a place where even they aren't allowed to go. ONE merely looked back at them, completely unconcerned that he'd been discovered, he simply waved at them like a good boy. This only pissed them off as one of them sprouted crystals on his body, the next moment he punched the door, breaking it off the hinges.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, Hero!" The crystal guy bellowed.

"Isn't it obvious, I'm on a grand adventure to uncover unknown mysteries!" The playful drama of his response only pissed them off.

The crystal guy rushed at him, "You don't belong here!" He roared, throwing a right punch, ONE raised his left hand, catching the punch before delivering a kick to his chest sending him crashing into the other two. ONE booked it from the room, having what he needed and not really needing to stay any longer. "Later guys!" The hero dipped down a hall to the left, angering the Yakuza who refused to let him escape.

The three sprawled over each other, trying to get up to chase the hero. "Hojo, Tabe, stop screwing around you idiots, he has the boss's work!" Setsuno yelled.

"I'll be dead before he leaves here alive with that. Come on!" Hojo bellowed, finally able to stand, he led the charge after the hero, his fellow trash fully backing him up."

"Damn it, I should have used my quirk the second I got in there! When I get my hands on him I swear!" Setsuno exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter, when we catch him he's dead. Tabe, get ready to eat!"

The bag masked villain gave a sound of acknowledgement.

They rounded the corner that the hero went down, to their shock he was standing in the middle of it, in a fighting stance as if waiting for them to show up. He smiled confidently, "Hey guys, what took you so long?" His aura became dangerous as he cocked back a fist, "Air Bullet: Shotgun!" Using one hand,ONE fired a wave of dozens of shockwaves at the three yakuza, pummeling them senselessly against the wall behind them. When the assault ended the wall was riddled with holes along with the outlines of the three now unconscious men. "That takes care of that."

He turned to the right, looking back down the hall, sensing he wasn't fully done yet he suspected this path led to their main base. He'd gather up everyone after he finished with the remaining thugs. He had mapped out the passages and he had gotten all the evidence he needed and then some to bring down the Shie Hassaikai. Once this was over he was heading back to Musutafu to take care of Overhaul.

---

Musutafu

Inko and Ferris had agreed to set up a playdate for the girls the day before. Eri was eager to go to Carol's house, she eagerly finished her studies for the day and they left for the Olston house at three o'clock. It's been two hours and both Inko and Eri were enjoying their time. Both were admittedly surprised at seeing how vast their property was. A gate covered most of the block and a long driveway full of trees, flowers and hedges made a trail to the mansion. Ferris had greeted them at the gate and accompanied them to her home where a cute Carol in pigtails, wearing a bunny outfit eagerly greeted them, especially Eri. The two went off to play while Inko and Ferris sat down for tea and just talked. It was a pleasant experience as the two women learned more about each other, both getting a pleasant feel for the other's personality. They talked about their kids, life and their interests. Inko was surprised to learn Ferris was only 20, as she definitely didn't look or act like it.

In Carol's room there was nothing but fun, filled with nothing but the energy and laughter of two little girls. Carol had a bunch of games and toys to play, Eri was having nothing but fun as they played together. This was different from how she played with Kanna and Saikawa, she didn't often play using her imagination, but Carol made it fun. They even made some drawings together and played with each other's hair. In no time almost three hours had gone by and the sun would start to set soon. The two mothers came to check on the girls, the screams of laughter coming from the room was a good sign. Quickly recognizing it as Carol, Ferris opened the door to see her daughter laughing her head off as Eri tickled her in her most sensitive spots.

Eri stopped upon seeing the older woman, it warmed them both to see the girls having so much fun together. Inko told her it was time to go home, and though she was a little sad about that she accepted it without argument. With one final hug from Carol to Eri, the Olstons saw the two off, with a promise to do this again, next time they can come to their home.

The two hopped off the bus, the walk home was peaceful, and Inko couldn't help but notice Eri had joyful pep in her step. The two had talked on the bus about the fun she'd had with Carol, and Eri's aura was pure excitement as she talked about the fun she had. "It's good you had a good time. Would you like it if the next time she came to our house?"

"That sounds really fun. I hope Kanna and Saikawa can come too."

"Oh, yeah, it's been a while since they came to the house hasn't it. Next time you go to Kanna's house you can invite them."

Eri's eyes met Inko's, "I will!" Eri looked to her left and saw they were passing the supermarket, "Mama, can I get some apples?"

Inko saw where she was looking, she wanted to get home and start on dinner but didn't mind a little detour. "Sure, why not."

Five minutes later the two came back out, Eri was munching on a Fuji Apple while Inko helded a bag containing three more. "Thank you, Mama." She graciously said after swallowing a bite.

"You're welcome." The two continued on their way, the streets were relatively peaceful. They were about three blocks from home, Eri was skipping ahead of her, happy as can be. The situation last night was startling, but now all seemed right with the world. Inko briefly thought about the call she got from Izuku earlier, she was sure they'd be fine but given last night they've definitely been more lax then they probably should be. She shook off the thoughts, not wanting to think of what may have happened had Izuku and Momo not been there. She didn't see the point in alerting the Kashik detectives about everything the other night, but she'd give them a call when they got home.

Eri was so happy thinking about the day she'd had. It was nothing but fun and the memory of Carol's smile filled her heart warmly. She couldn't wait until next time, She almost couldn't believe that this was her life now. She's made friends, she has a family and she's made so many amazing memories since she met her Izu-Nii. All these wonderful thoughts filled her as she happily took another bite of her apple. An adorable smile spread across her lips as her joy reached an apex. She took off into a light run, pleasant memories of the past three months racing through her head.

She felt on top of the world, like she could handle anything. This was all she ever wanted, and she couldn't believe she had it. Her family and friends were everything to her and she looked forward to many more happy memories with them. Especially her Izu-Nii. She never would have experienced any of this if she hadn't met him, when she saw him the first thing she'd do is give him a big hug, stronger and more loving than the ones she always did. She faintly heard her mom tell her not to run too far ahead, at the same moment the door to a jewelry store opened and a man walked out. She was going so fast and so engrossed in her joy she couldn't stop herself from crashing into him. The pain of the impact was shocking, more so giving as she didn't see it coming. She fell back, dropping her apple and landing on her butt, eyes closed from the fresh pain.

Eri shook off the hit, opening her eyes and raising her head. The first thing her eyes caught sight of was a red and yellow mask, resembling that of a bird. Her eyes widened as she fully saw the face it was connected to. Time seemed to slow as her body began to tremble, fear engulfing her as a forgotten nightmare was becoming reality. A pair of yellow eyes met her red, the same cold and indifference she was being forced to remember still vividly clear in them. Behind him came two men, both in bird-like masks wearing white and black cloaks, and both she recognized.

Overhaul looked down at the little girl who bumped into him. Her hair was different, but the horn in her head and eye color were unmistakable. The look she gave him, like a frightened puppy desperate to get away, was also familiar. All of these similarities came together, and Twice and Toga's description rang in his head, he'd been searching for hours, and no one had any real leads. He had called his men to help, but none of them have reported to be in the city looking. But this green haired, red eyed girl, with a horn in her right forehead, was unmistakable the lost treasure he's long sought for. The girl continued to tremble with blatant fear as his eyes widened, eyes that shined with exuberance as if finding something he long looked for but feared he'd never see again. His eyes never left the trembling girl's as one raspy word left his lips into his plague mask, "Eri."

Chrono, who stood on Overhauls left side, caught his bosses words and looked down at the girl, "That is Eri!"

Nemoto stood straight at Overhaul's other side, "You little brat. You have a lot of nerve running away like that. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?!" He asked, looking down at the little girl

Overhaul's anger and relief seemed to mix, "You naughty girl. It's been nothing but stress for months! I hope you enjoyed your little vacation, because we're going home right now!" He exclaimed, reaching for her.

Eri's fear gripped her as she saw his gloved hand coming towards her. She knew that hand all too well, what it can do, what it meant, and why it was coming for her. Her breath caught in her throat, she wanted to recoil and hide from that hand, her Izu-Nii would be here any moment to save her. As her fear and optimism battled internally a thought entered her mind, a moment with Izuku after she joined him for his morning training.

Flashback two months ago

"Are you still afraid, Eri?" Izuku asked with warmth.

The two were meditating on Dagobah beach. She had had a nightmare the previous night, and Izuku told her that joining him for meditation and training would be good to clear her mind and make her feel strong. They sat down for meditation and Izuku's question came. She quickly shook off her fear to answer him with a "Uh-hmph" while nodding her head.

She was facing the ocean, her head lowered, not turning to face him when a warm, gentle hand touched her head. "That's perfectly fine." His words caused her to meet his eyes, "Eri, I want you to know something… There's nothing wrong with feeling fear. Being afraid of the things that frighten you is a natural human emotion. But, that being said, there comes a time for all of us where we must face our fears, and overcome them." He gave her a warm smile, "Eri, what are your nightmares like?"

The girl pressed her lips together, not wanting to think about it. She wanted to bury the memories but Izuku's question brought them to the surface, "The bird mask… and the hands. Yellow eyes… And the knife." She reluctantly answered, almost physically feeling the pain and cuts as she spoke. She felt as if she was going to cry when Izuku pulled her head to his chest.

"I know it hurts. But I promise those things won't scare you forever. Being brave isn't easy, and you're definitely one of the bravest people I know, Eri." Their eyes met as he continued, "If you can find the courage to face your fears, I'm sure you'll have the confidence to beat them."

End of flashback

Eri closed her eyes and grit her teeth, she was scared, really scared. Her Izu-Ni's words that day entered her head as the gloved hand reached for her. She was afraid of that hand, she hated that hand, and the last thing she wanted was for it to ever touch her again. Her red eyes flashed to life, a new determination in them even as her heart raced rapidly. Remembering a move Izuku had taught her during his morning training. She quickly leaned back, lowering herself and shifted to her left side, supporting herself with her left arm and right hand she kicked her right foot at Overhaul's groin with all the strength she could muster.

Eri's kick was a direct shot to the nuts, almost snipper-like. A mix of pain and shock edged across Overhaul's face as Eri's never resisted like this before, everything seemed to slow down as his two henchmen were equally surprised as he was. Eri decided to take this moment to run away again just as pain coursed through her tormentor's body and instinctively gripped his balls, she sprinted in the opposite direction just as he dropped to his knees and a yell of pain escaped him.

Inko had seen the whole thing, everything happened so fast. She had only seen a picture of him but given Eri's actions and the now intense atmosphere, she was sure this was the man who hurt and they needed to get away. "Mama!'

Inko didn't hesitate and picked up Eri before running in the opposite direction. Overhaul kept a hand to his now aching testicles all while supporting himself with his other hand to keep his face from hitting the ground. He let out groans of pure pain as he tried to find the strength to stand up, but he could not.

Chrono and Nemoto finally snapped out of their initial shock, both seeing Inko run away with Eri. "Overhaul!" Chrono got down to his level, concerned and trying to help him stand.

"Boss, are you okay?" Nemoto asked, eyes going from his boss on the ground and the back of the woman who took off with Eri. multiple eyes of civilians fell on them as the Yakuza leader felt something rising that he couldn't stop. His cheeks bloated and against his will, filling up before he spewed an uncontrollable amount of vomit into his mask. Overflowing it and forcing him to toss it aside, after punking up a few more chunks he coughed from some of it catching in his throat. This was without question the dirtiest he's felt in a long time, and his relief at finding Eri was replaced with pure malice, borderline outright hatred. He continued to cough against his will. The taste of his own vomit disgusted him in every way, so much so the sickening sensation was like a disgusting slime that spread through his body.

"Overhaul! Speak to me, are you okay?" Chrono asked for a second time.

Overhaul managed to stop coughing and get his breathing under control. The look in his eyes scared even Chrono, it mirrored more beast than man. "Get that girl!" He managed to command through a pained, angry growl.

"Nemoto, take him and get him to the car. I'll handle this." His fellow Yakuza nodded in agreement, he took their leader and ushered him to their car. That was conveniently parked on the sidewalk barely three meters away from them.

Inko rounded a corner, passing several people on the street, surprising everyone as it was clear she was running from something. "Don't worry Eri, It's going to be okay." The mother assured the girl in her arms, though she herself was she could be more sure. She was looking around for a hero but didn't spot any. She took a left down an alleyway, Eri gripped her tightly as she ran, determined to get away. Eri was tucked into her left shoulder, watching her back, "Mama he's coming!" She exclaimed after watching Chono come after them down the alley.

"He caught up to us that quickly." Inko thought, more focused on escaping than before.

She'd lived in the neighborhood for almost twenty years, she knew these streets like the back of her hand and was certain she'd lose him, she just needed some distance. Taking a quick glance to see how close he was behind them she saw what appeared to be a long blade heading towards her. Trying to quickly adjust her body to dodge, she took a cut in the back. She still tried to hold Eri tightly even as her body became heavy. Inko hit the ground, her grip on Eri becoming seemingly weaker.

Eri fell out of her mother's embrace, who was now face down on the ground with a small slash in her back, "I can't move. My body feels heavy." She thought, unable to even look up at Eri.

"It's about time we ended this little chase." The white cloaked yakuza stated as he approached them. Eri stood between him and Inko, taking a fighting stance that Izuku had taught her, "No! I won't let you hurt her." She said in a courageous tone that wasn't too assuring.

Chrono pulled out his gun, "That's cute. But how do you plan to stop me?" She said as he cocked it.

Eri grit her teeth, her mom was gonna die because of her, so many times the deaths of people had been her fault but this was one time she couldn't let it happen. She never knew what it was like to have a mother until she met this woman, and she refused to let anything happen to her." She grit her teeth, defiance still clear in her eyes, more to save Inko than get away. "I'll go with you. Just don't do anything bad to my mom." Her red eyes pierced his plague mask as she spoke.

Chrono was thrown off by this for a moment, he knows just as much about Eri's origins as Kai does. But given everything that's happened it's natural she'd make some connections. "Mom? What mom? You don't have a mother, or a family. You destroyed it yourself with your own two hands."

Eri's eyes widened with shock, "What?" Innocence and ignorance were clear in her voice.

"You killed your own father. And your mother got rid of you because she couldn't stand the fact she gave birth to a cursed child who killed the man she loved. Nothing good ever comes from loving you or being loved by you. Case and point," Before Eri could react Chrono shot Inko in her upper right back. She felt the bullets with her groan slowed by the Yakuza's quirk.

"Mama!" Eri cried out in horror going to her side, she saw the blood leak from her wound.

"Relax, it's just a flesh wound, not too serious. This however is a bit more fatal." He ended this statement by releasing four more shots into the defenseless woman's back. Inko's eyes widened as she registered the pain.

Eri's eyes watered as she saw the bullets fly into Inko, they were now full of tears, her eyes shifted from Chrono who stood casually over them with a gun while Inko was quickly bleeding out. "Remember, all of this is your fault, little girl." His eyes went to the woman on the ground, not caring in the slightest as this was for the organization, and to get Eri back. "If you hadn't run away and made these pointless connections this wouldn't be happening."

"No… No… No, please don't die. Her tears streamed down her face as she crouched down to Inko's body, she met the eyes of her mother and all of her happiness seemed to shatter.

Inko couldn't move, but she heard and felt everything, the pain she felt for Eri was almost as bad as the pain of getting shot five times. She realized her body was moving very slowly, not paralyzed, and as her body became weak from blood loss she never left eyes with Eri, who was pleading for her not to die. However she couldn't form words, to speak and give her daughter the assurance she needed, and seeing her face broke her heart. Her thoughts came, "I'm sorry, Eri. This feels like the end for me." She knew it was impossible in this situation, but she hoped Eri would smile one last time for her, Eri always looked cuter when she smiled vs when she was sad. "Don't look at me like that, Eri. None of what he said was true… You're not a curse child. You're a very special girl, no matter what any of those thugs say. You have a family, the day you came to us you were ours. We loved you everyday, and you loved us equally in return.

"You're a good girl, Eri. It wasn't long, but I was proud to be the mother of two strong kids. You're my daughter, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She became weaker and weaker as she inwardly voiced her thoughts, she hoped Eri would receive them in some thoughts then shifted to Izuku and Hisashi. They'd both be devastated after finding out about this, she could only hope they;d stay together, cand love each other strongly even without her. She was afraid Izuku might blame himself for this, but she had faith in her little hero. He was the strongest person she knew, and was lucky and proud to call herself his mother.

Eri's horn began to glow as her emotion consumed her. Holding her hand, Inko felt the effects of this villain's quirk and the pain of the injuries she's suffered fade away. The bullets inside her faded to nothing, and the bullet holes closed to non-existent injuries. Inko found that she could feel her fingers and legs, she got up on all fours, she looked at her hand before meeting the red eyes of the little girl who saved her, "Eri?"

"Mama!" Eri exclaimed before she tackled Inko into a hug. Ger horn glowed for a few more seconds before the light faded

Inko shed tears of her own as she happily reciprocated the hug of her crying daughter, "You saved me."

"Well that happened." Chrono thought, "Eri can actually use her quirk now, Overhaul was afraid this would happen. But, if we had an incentive for her to act right, we should be able to keep her from running away again. She used her quirk on call, it may not have been perfect but the fact she was able to do that at all is alarming. Plus she rewinded that woman's body before I even used my quirk on her. " He took a moment to gather all of these thoughts, "This could be problematic so it's better to handle this smoothly." He thought as he eyed Inko was still hugging a crying Eri, she locked eyes with Chrono who seemed to have decided his next course of action, "What's your name, woman."

She met his gaze through his mask as she allowed Eri to receive her motherly warmth, "I'm Inko Midoriya."

"Well Midoriya, you're coming with us." Inko looked at Eri, her motherly instincts on full display.

"Fine."

"Come with me. They walked back out of the alley, "Don't fight back and there won't be any issues.

They exited the alley and found a black car parked on the sidewalk, inside was a clearly angry Overhaul sitting in the backseat, while Nemoto drove.

---

Kashik

"I take it you guys have everything under control now." ONE asked as the police came and rounded up all the yakuza. He made sure to tell them to bring a search warrant and though they would have done this in a few days in a collaboration effort with Nighteye agency they didn't mind as it was the same result. ONE told them about the entrances to the secret passages and all the thugs were rounded up and on their way to jail. Unfortunately for the police Kai Chisai, A.K.A Overhaul wasn't among the arrestees along with two other members, much to their annoyance but ONE assure he was on top of it.

"Yeah ONE, you can take off. We've got most of them and all the evidence we need. Go get him!" The captain said, encouraging him. "You know Sir Nighteye isn't going to be happy about this, right?"

"Definitely not. But an opportunity presented itself to end this organization and I took it. I get that Overhaul is your big fish, and you'll have him before the day's over with."

"We're gonna hold you to that." The cop said.

ONE's phone began to ring, "No worries." He looked at his phone, " Sorry, it's my mother, excuse me." He walked off to get some space, "Hello."

"Hello, Izuku Midoriya." A male voice answered that it wasn't his father and definitely wasn't his mother.

"Who are you?" He asked, noting how the voice sounded familiar.

"You can call me Overhaul. But to be more specific, I'm the man you stole from."

"That's an interesting phrasing of words, last I checked you can't own another human being." He had a sternness in his voice as he asked his next question, "Where is my mother."

"She's right next to me. Don't worry she's still alive, for now at least."

"And here I thought you had intelligence. Why would you call me to tell me you have my mother hostage?"

"Because I'm willing to make a deal."

"A deal?" ONE said, doubt clear in his tone.

"Yes, a deal. And here it is, all I care about is Eri. We're willing to let your mommy go right now, but Eri stays." Overhaul calmly explained.

"And if I refuse?"

"We disappear into the shadows with both of them… As long as Eri cooperates we're willing not to kill your mom, so there's a chance of you having her back someday."

"I'm going to give you a moment to think about what you just said." He released a small wave of Power Aura with his words, startling all near him.

"I know exactly what I said." He answered completely unconcerned. "I have too big a plan just for some hero to play house with my most important piece. You've been living with her so you should know, a cursed child like Eri is only a burden. At least I can use her for something greater." ONE grit his teeth at that last statement, his Power Aura so intense it began cracking the concrete around him. The hero took a breath to calm himself, "So what's it gonna be, mommy or Eri?"

"Overhaul… Are you an orphan?"

The yakuza boss's eyes narrowed for a moment, "Yes. So what if I am, what does that have to do with anything?

"Because you've made three mistakes without correction, two of which you wouldn't have if you weren't an orphan. The first is, threatening a man's mother. The second, is calling a son to tell him you're holding his mother hostage while also threatening her. And your third and most costly mistake is thinking I can't save both of them!"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, "So I take it that's a no deal.. Unfortunate."

"You're either very full of yourself or very stupid."

"How's that?"

"Because you're grossly overestimating your control over this situation."

"I doubt that. This organization will rule Japan from the Shadows, I have everything I need to make it happen. I've come too far to let some fool infected with the hero disease ruin it."

ONE suspected he was on speaker phone, "Mom, Eri… I'm sorry this happened. I'm going to save both of you. I promise." He dropped his hero voice and spoke in his real voice."

"Izu-Nii?" He heard Eri on the other side of the phone. "Good luck, Hero." The call ended.

ONE had been tracking that call when he realized it was Overhaul. The Map showed they were outside Musutafu. He put a hand on the case of bullets in his pocket and quickly formulated a plan. Overhaul had no knowledge of what happened here so it was a safe bet they were heading back here. If they didn't come in from the front, they'd take one of the passages and he had entrances and routes to all of them. Many of the police looked at ONE, feeling his pressure a moment ago and were very startled by it. "ONE?" A captain asked him, nervously.

"Overhaul is on his way back here, Captain." He twirled a finger, "I need you all quickly clear out of here, and wait on standby until I'm finished with him."

The officer crossed his arms, "I understand that, and we can do that. But what's with the shift? Your entire aura is different from a few minutes ago."

"Let's just say I get the feeling things are about to get very… Intense."

---

Chapter 35 is in the books! Hooray! I hope you all like this one, sorry it took so long to get it out but I really got stumped in some places. Eri's reunion with Overhaul is something I've been waiting to write for the longest time. I'll admit, originally my plan was for them to bump into each other, Eri kicks him, she and Inko runaway, they get cornered, Eri calls for Izuku at the top of her lungs and ONE shows up. But I thought what if Overhaul went the extra mile in being a special kind of stupid and unknowingly took ONE's mom along with Eri. Momo's had her debut and the people of Nagano are aware of the Everything Hero. ONE now has the quirk erasing bullets, the Hassaikai are finished and Overhaul is heading back base, unsuspecting of all of this with Eri and Inko in toe. This chapter may have been a process but I've got a good idea of how I want the next chapter to end the arc. Leave a review and come back because the next chapter will begin the end for Overhaul. Next time, ONE clashes with the remaining Yakuza. Eri leaves her past behind, Sir Nighteye confronts ONE, and ONE and Lemillion deal with the Paradisers. See you next time.