Author's Note - Hey everyone, here's the next chapter for you! Some important things here that will help set things in motion. Hope you enjoy it!

SYMBOL

CHAPTER 020 – UNEXPECTED

Ochaco stirred from her sleep. When she finally woke up, she felt an incredible soreness in her back and neck as she sat in her chair while keeping her eyes closed. I fell asleep on the chair… "Oh, wow, that hurts…" she complained out loud. Arching her back while moving her arms above her head, she extended them upwards. Several loud pops and cracks were heard as she stretched. "Ah, that feels better…" she said to herself in a relieved tone.

"I bet it does."

"Yeah, you have no idea how gre…" Ochaco trailed off as her brain seemed to just register that someone was talking with her. Freezing while in mid stretch, she opened her eyes and slowly turned her gaze towards where the sound came from. She found a middle aged, somewhat plump, short woman with long green hair looking right at her.

A couple seconds later, a warm smile spread on the woman's face. "Good morning. My name is Inko Midoriya. I guess my son made quite the impression on you for you to hold his hand while you slept," said Inko with some slight teasing along with a knowing glint in her eye.

Ochaco could feel her face turning dark red as she blushed heavily. Oh my god, it's his mom! And she saw! She saw! And I'm still in my hero costume! Oh no, she's gonna think I'm some kind of slut with this skin tight suit! Why didn't I fix the costume?! Why didn't I change?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Doing her best to not portray her inner turmoil of being caught in a rather embarrassing situation, Ochaco brought her hands down. She then stood up from her chair and took a step closer to Inko before stopping. She gave a deep bow towards the Midoriya matriarch. "G-Good morning, Mrs. Midoriya! My name is Ochaco Uraraka! Please forgive me for entering and staying the night without asking your permission! I just wanted to see how your son was doing since he saved my life several times! Please let me know if you need me to do anything to help!" Ochaco finished saying all that rather quickly and hoped that she sounded sincere.

Inko was astonished over the girl's reaction but quickly recovered. She could tell that this girl, Ochaco Uraraka, truly meant every word. "Please, raise your head." When Ochaco finally did so, Inko looked her in the eye before she continued. "You have nothing to apologize for. Thank you for being so kind and staying by my son's side. It means a lot to me and I'm sure he'd appreciate it too."

Ochaco felt the tension within her evaporate, allowing her to relax after she heard those words and even smiled a little. "Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya."

"Oh come now, just call me Inko."

"Are you sure?" asked Ochaco and Inko nodded. "Alright, if you insist. And please, Ochaco for me."

Inko nodded and turned towards the bed. "See Eri? I told you she was a good person."

It was then that Ochaco realized that they weren't the only ones awake. She turned towards the bed and she became a little surprised over what she saw.

The little silver haired girl was sitting on the bed as she leaned against Izuku's side with her back while holding his casted arm over her lap. And she was giving a look of fear and confusion towards the brunette.

"I'm sorry Ochaco. Please don't take offense to it, but Eri is very shy and untrusting of strangers," informed Inko after she noticed the look Eri was giving the brunette.

"That's okay. I understand," replied Ochaco. Not wanting to stir up any trouble, Ochaco decided to play it safe with the little girl. She looked at Eri with a kind expression but the little girl didn't change hers. "Hi there. My name's Ochaco Uraraka. Inko said your name is Eri. Is that right?"

Eri didn't answer back. Instead, she looked to the side at Inko who gave her a reassuring smile. Eri then looked back at the new girl. A few seconds later, she slowly nodded but her expression didn't change.

"Wow, that's a pretty name for a pretty little girl." Eri remained quiet and Ochaco internally grimaced that she didn't get a response but she didn't give up. "I bet you're wondering who I am and why I'm here. Right?" she asked. Once again, Eri barely nodded a short while later. "I thought so. Well, I'm one of Midoriya's classmates. I go to UA just like him. And I'm here because Midoriya saved my life again yesterday from some awful villains. I'm so grateful for what he did and I wanted to see if I can do anything for him."

"You're…going to…UA? And…Izu…saved you?" asked Eri with slightly widened eyes and Ochaco nodded. She looked down at the arm encased in a cast on her lap that she was holding on to. "Izu saved you…just like me…from the bad man…"

Hearing her say that was when Ochaco realized something. That Eri wasn't his sister. Instead she had to be the little girl that Izuku had saved from what Kyoka had told her and the others. Wanting to get confirmation, she turned towards Inko. "Did he really save Eri?" she asked.

Inko looked at Eri before facing Ochaco. "Yes. He saved her from a terrible villain but got hurt in the process. He had to recover from it before going to UA. And Eri's been attached to him ever since." Looking towards her son now, Inko's eyes seemed to fill with sorrow. "I just can't believe he's back in the hospital again after going to UA for just a day…"

Ochaco felt horrible at seeing her so sullen. "I'm so sorry. I swear, if there was something I could've done, I would've. And I'll do anything now to help without a second's thought. I just…didn't know what to do and when he just collapsed in the end…" Ochaco couldn't finish, her emotions starting to get the best of her.

Inko however understood. "It's alright Ochaco. It's not your fault or anyone else's except for those villains." She took in a breath and let it out. "So I don't blame you at all. And please, don't feel sad. Izuku wouldn't like it either. That's the only reason why I'm not breaking down myself."

Ochaco, even while feeling terrible, was awed by Inko's resolve and was unable to say anything. She turned towards Eri and Izuku. She saw how Eri was looking at her while still hugging Izuku's arm. Ochaco couldn't help but feel something over that. She was about to say something when the door to the room opened. She, Inko and Eri looked at who entered.

A skeletal looking, older man with blonde hair and sunken blue eyes walked in. He didn't stop moving even after he noticed the brunette. Ah, so she finally woke up huh? I bet Inko had some fun with that and I can't believe I missed it. Anyway, important business first. "Hello everyone."

"Hey Toshi. Any update?" asked Inko.

"I was just informed that there's an emergency press conference called by Principal Nezu," he said.

"So early in the morning?" asked Ochaco out loud, making both adults turn to look at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get involved. And, I'm sorry to ask, but who are you?"

"My name is Toshinori Yagi and I work at UA. I'm All Might's secretary and you're one of his students, Ochaco Uraraka. And it's actually closer to noon," he said.

Ochaco was shocked learning who he was, that he knew who she was and how long she slept in.

But before she could say anything else, Inko cut in. "So, is that why they called you Toshi?"

Toshinori responded back as he picked up the television remote and turned on the TV that was hung on the wall. "Yes. They wanted to see if I would join too to speak on All Might's behalf, but I told them I was too busy. It's going live now and several news channels were called for it." Finding one of those channels, he put up the volume on the TV slightly and the three of them watched it…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dozens of reporters and their cameramen were seated in rows of chairs facing the auditorium stage and conversed with one another as they waited. All around them were police officers stationed around the perimeter thanks to Detective Naomasa. Soon, they'd have UA University give an announcement of what happened yesterday on their grounds. They already had an idea of what happened thanks to some information leaks but the news personnel knew that they couldn't let up this opportunity. Anything that involved the world famous hero school was gold and this particular story was a veritable gold mine that they could use for a long time if they use it to their advantage.

They all quieted down when the door on the side of the stage opened and several UA staff members walked onto the stage. They walked towards the podium and stopped right behind it. A white hybrid animal jumped off the shoulder of Present Mic and landed on the podium. After tapping the microphone on it a couple times, he then cleared his throat and began speaking. "Welcome everyone to UA's auditorium. I thank you for coming on short notice to this emergency press conference. I'll give you all a chance to ask your questions but first allow me to give you some information as it may answer some of your questions. Yesterday a group of villains had invaded one of our facilities."

At this point, there were many murmurs and whispers between the reporters and their camera crews. Nezu let that happen for a few seconds before he continued. "These villains attacked our first year hero course students and their instructors at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short when they went to practice rescue operations. They were able to sneak through our defenses and security systems thanks to having two very rare quirks at their disposal. One of which was the ability to warp from one area to another instantaneously and the second was a very powerful electrical based one that jammed our security systems by not allowing communication between that facility and the rest. Both of these types of quirks had never before been encountered and there was no precedent in how to counter them until now."

Nezu made it look like he needed a breather so as to allow that information to sink in. "However, even with such incredible quirks with the villains, they were unable to succeed in their goals. Over one hundred and fifty villains have been captured and taken off the streets thanks to the resilience and bravery of our staff and our students. Even though they were heavily outnumbered, they never gave up. There were some minor injuries amongst the students with only one suffering major wounds. The staff that was there had also sustained injuries themselves. However, every single person was able to leave with their lives so no losses have occurred."

More murmurs and whispers, though this time they sounded more hopeful. Nezu noticed that but didn't show it. "Before I open up the floor to questions, I just want to say that our security systems and sensors are being upgraded as we speak. Thanks to extensive information gathered about the warp and electric users, we will not be caught unawares again. And thanks to them, we've been able to do more than expected." Giving them a moment to understand that, Nezu then cleared his throat once more to get them to quiet down. "And now, I open the floor to you."

Every single reporter raised their hands into the air and practically yelled to get UA's principal to notice them. One was pointed out and he stood up while the rest calmed down. "Principal Nezu, the group of villains that attacked; did they say what they wanted or who they are or who they're working for?"

"Some of the captured villains told us that they were recruited by a group called the 'League of Villains'. All we know is that their goal was to kill All Might and then cause as much havoc as possible."

An eerie silence fell over the crowd as the reporter sat down and another stood up without waiting to be called. "Do you think they believe they can do such a thing because of All Might's condition?"

"What exactly are you talking about?" asked Nezu.

The reporter had a smug look form on his face. "It's been common knowledge that All Might has been doing his hero duties for over forty years. But these past couple of years, he's been making fewer appearances. And each time he appears to save the day, he's only around for a handful of hours a day. And even that time period has been shrinking. Perhaps the villains have noticed this as well. And it could be a sign of other things," said the reporter.

"And what signs would that be?" asked Nezu calmly but inside he was becoming annoyed.

"That All Might, has incredible as he's been, is not invincible as many believe him to be. He's getting old and for all we know, he could be suffering from injuries he's received from all the battles he's been through. And that's why the villains have gotten bold enough to invade UA University, the premier school for training heroes. They attacked because they learned the truth, which is that the Symbol of Peace is weakening and will one day soon no longer be here to protect us. Especially since he's here teaching instead of out there fighting the villains. What's your response to that?" asked the reporter.

When he finished speaking, the many other reporters around him waited silently but impatiently for the Principal of UA to reply back. A good portion of them assumed that information was true as well but it was like a general rule of thumb that it wasn't brought up as a sign of respect for the Symbol of Peace for all he's done. And it also helped keep society running smoothly as they kept their belief in him. But it seems this particular reporter didn't care. Or maybe he did care and that's why he brought it up now because of what happened at UA was unprecedented.

Nezu kept his sight on the reporter who spoke. He could sense the annoyance in the staff around him and so did he. But he kept himself from showing it. He had a feeling that something like this would've been brought up. And he had something prepared in advance for it. "I can understand your concern about All Might not being who he used to be. Perhaps this will calm your worries as well as everyone else's." Pressing a button on the podium, an enormous screen lowered behind Nezu and covered the wall and a video began playing.

It was of All Might unleashing his full power against a monstrous brute with a beak before upper cutting the beast through the domed ceiling and sending him flying away into the sky. The video ended there and the screen was raised back up.

Nezu kept his gaze on the reporter in front of him who looked to be stunned. A smile spread on Nezu's face. "As I said before, we couldn't communicate with our security system but the video surveillance was still functioning. As you saw with your own eyes, our Symbol of Peace took down a monstrous beast that the League of Villains called 'Nomu' and had brought it with them to take on the Symbol of Peace. All Might is still undefeated and very much capable of 'throwing down' as the younger population likes to say."

Chuckles were heard throughout the crowd. The reporter however, shook off his shock and didn't back down. "All Might may still be a powerhouse, but what of his appearances becoming less and less?" he asked. "If he's still as strong as shown, where is he then? Why isn't he showing up for hero duties anymore?"

"It's because All Might knows he won't be around forever, as strong as he is. He knows that one day, he's time will be up and it'll be time for the next generation of heroes to step up and take over. Because of that, he's been learning how to become a better instructor so he can better prepare the next pro heroes. And he's already begun teaching and that's why he joined UA staff. And he knows that the pro heroes already on the job are capable of doing just fine without him for most incidents. It's the responsibility of elders to pass down wisdom to the youngsters, is it not? And what better person for future pro heroes to learn from, than the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace?" asked Nezu with a cheery smile on his face.

Unable to argue against that, the reporter sat back down with a huff. Another one stood up and asked her question. "You said that everyone walked away from the incident so no lives were lost. But one of the students was heavily injured from what you implied. Why was that student not protected like the others? Or was that one student not listening and got themselves in trouble?"

Nezu's smile faded away but had a more neutral expression form on his face. "Like I mentioned before, they were heavily outnumbered. Even with four pro heroes, All Might and forty hero course students, the odds were against them in facing over one hundred and fifty villains who had no qualms about hurting barely of age students. And the warp user did not make things easy," repeated Nezu to make them understand and to not pursue that particular subject.

"Is that why Midnight was raped and another female student was almost violated too?" asked the same female reporter and a hush fell over the crowd of reporters with some sporting shocked expressions.

Nezu and his staff were startled at her blatant question. They didn't think that particular secret would be known. At least not yet. "And where did you hear that?" asked Nezu as he tried to buy some time while his mind went into overdrive to try and find a way out of this without too much issue.

"Doesn't matter," replied the reporter but before Nezu could say something else, she continued. "You mentioned some of your students got hurt with one getting severe injuries. Another was almost violated in front of others. With Midnight getting raped and your other staff being knocked unconscious by the villains, how can you protect your students if your staff can't even take care of themselves? And why in the world would you have someone like the 'R'-rated pro hero be an instructor at such a prestigious school and teach promising future heroes?" she asked.

"Midnight is an incredible instructor and pro hero. We're lucky to have her. Same goes for all of UA's staff," snapped back Nezu with noticeable annoyance. "And UA has a long standing tradition of doing things differently than the norm that includes staffing unorthodox teachers and that is why our students become some of the best pro heroes in the future. Their learning is not contained to a standard curriculum. It involves actual life lessons taught by those who have experience."

The reporter scoffed and was about to say something else when Nezu cut her off. "And it seems you have listening problems since I already said this twice before; they were outnumbered. Their forty five against over a hundred and fifty ruthless villains that included a warp user. Even All Might wouldn't be able to come out of those odds unscathed and he can't be everywhere at once either. The fact that only one student ended up in critical care and is still on track to full recovery is testament to how much my staff worked to protect them by keeping the villains attention on them and not on our students. They sacrificed themselves for our students. For you to even stand there, all safe and sound, and demean their noble actions when you know nothing and never even experienced such a terrible ordeal, goes to show how arrogant and ignorant you are. Sit down and remain silent for the rest of this conference or you will be thrown out of UA grounds forever."

The female reporter shuddered over the rather terrifying expression on Nezu's face. It was at that moment that she realized that the rumors were true about the hybrid animal. Screw this! I don't care how much Endeavor pays me; I'm not pissing off Nezu again! She sat back down and attempted to make herself look as small as possible to avoid his gaze.

Nezu took in a subtle breath as someone else stood up. "Any idea as to how the villains knew when to strike? How could they know the lesson plans?"

A rather ominous expression formed on Nezu's face before he responded to the question. "We've been investigating that and found evidence that the villains used the unlawful entering of UA grounds by many reporters a couple days ago as cover to infiltrate. It was because my security and staff were busy trying to get them off campus and not bother our students' lessons that the villains were able to sneak in and discover the next few days' worth of lesson plans."

Many in the crowd shifted uncomfortably at that. The one who asked that question gulped loudly and sat back down as another spoke up. "Are you still going to operate dorms on campus grounds? Wouldn't this be asking for this 'League of Villains' to attack again?"

"The dorms are the first to have upgraded security systems. They'll be ready for our students when they come back next week."

"What of the beast that All Might fought and defeated? There's a rumor going on that the police found it and locked it up in Tartarus. Any information on it? Should the people be concerned?" asked another.

"The beast, called Nomu…all we know is that it was their trump card but failed. We don't have any concrete information about it just yet. We're working with the authorities to learn what we can. Once we do, we'll disclose that information at a later date."

The conference went on for a little bit longer after that. Nezu continued answering questions and even deflected some questions and accusations that UA was hiding something or trying to control what was let known. Though unsatisfied with his answers, none of the reporters wanted to get on his bad side like that one female reporter did.

After answering another question, a beep was heard behind Nezu. Glancing at one of his staff, Nezu was quietly told that the time limit was up for the conference. Facing forward, Nezu tapped the microphone again and the area became quiet. "That's it for the conference as time is up. Thank you for coming here and for allowing us the opportunity to make sure vital information was shared so the truth can be told and not some wild rumors. UA thanks you and everyone else for their continued support. Good day."

Without delay, Nezu hopped back up onto Present Mic's shoulder and the UA group left the stage. At the same time, the police officers began ushering the reporters and their camera crews out of the auditorium and out of the UA grounds.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, that was something," commented Inko after the press conference ended and the TV was turned off. She turned to face Toshi with a concerned look. "It looks like they're not giving All Might or even UA any slack."

"That's alright," said Toshinori with a sad smile. "All Might's always attracted the best and worst of the population. And UA has experience in dealing with bad publicity."

"But that's not fair!" Both adults turned their gazes towards the brunette who looked visibly annoyed and angry. "How could they blame All Might or UA?! They don't know what really happened or the details! And what about Midoriya?! Why didn't they mention anything about him?! Why did they keep that hidden?! Everyone survived because of him! He was the real hero out of everyone! I'd even say he did more than All Might to protect everyone!" stated Ochaco with an angry and frustrated tone.

Inko and Toshinori were both astonished over her outburst. They couldn't believe it and yet, they both understood at that moment. Toshinori couldn't help but feel proud over Izuku making such a passionate girl care for him so deeply. And Inko began thinking of how great she'd be for her son.

"I'm sure they have their reasons for it but thank you Ochaco for saying such nice things," said Inko with noticeable gratitude in her tone of voice.

Ochaco reddened as she looked away and scratched her cheek with her finger. "Well…it's just…you know…they should know how amazing he is." Her blush deepened as she realized what she just said about Izuku. And to his mother of all people. Snapping her reddened gaze to Inko's, Ochaco tried to salvage the situation. "I mean! You know! He…I…"

Ochaco was saved at that moment when the door was opened and they all turned to see who entered. Which was Dr. Natasha Dobrev who walked in. "I thought I heard Ochaco yelling. What's got you all worked up?" she asked playfully.

Actually, Ochaco was not saved and was further pushed into the pit of embarrassment. "It's nothing!" snapped the brunette. "An-Anyways, I should go see Thirteen!"

"I'm right here Ochaco." They all turned to see Anan enter the room using a walking cane after Natasha.

Ochaco was about to cry out that they were ganging up on her on purpose when she realized something at the last second. "Thirteen! What are you doing walking?!" asked Ochaco in concern and forgetting all about her embarrassment. She moved towards the rescue hero with obvious concern. "You should be resting! And how are you up already?!"

Anan waved away her concerns with her free hand. "I'm good now. Recovery Girl patched me up the best she could for the moment," said Anan and she continued explaining when she saw the disbelieving look on Ochaco. "My injuries looked more severe than they really were thankfully. Black Hole did more damage to my suit than my back. It still caused a lot of pain and I couldn't move but I rested enough for Recovery Girl to use her quirk. I can't do anything too physical but I can at least walk around."

"Oh…I see…that's good to hear. But, are you sure you're okay?" asked Ochaco.

Anan nodded. "Yea, I'm good, thanks."

"Alright. But, what are you doing here?"

"I was told you were here by Dr. Dobrev so I came to find you and to give thanks to the second person who helped me out," revealed Anan. Her reasoning made Ochaco understand and she walked beside Anan in case she needed help.

Inko moved towards the two. "Hi there. My name is Inko Midoriya. And this is my son Izuku and that's Eri," greeted Inko and introduced her family to the space hero.

"Anan Kurose. Pleasure to meet you all," said Anan as she moved her gaze across the three. The little girl was giving her a scared look while staying in her spot on the hospital bed. Understanding she was probably afraid, Anan didn't focus on that. She returned her sight towards Inko. "I just wanted to say thank you for raising an incredible son. He saved my life. Please thank him for me when he wakes up but I'll make sure to do so when I see him at UA," requested Anan as she bowed her head to Inko.

"I will and please, there's no need," said Inko.

Anan raised her gaze before shook her head. "There is. A noble and heroic action should be respected and acknowledged. It's alright to be humble but it's also alright to take pride in one's actions. Especially when those actions help save many others. Don't let anyone else say otherwise."

Inko couldn't argue against that since it was sound advice. "Thank you for your wisdom. I'll make sure to pass it on to Izuku."

Smiling, the pro decided to leave things at that. "Thank you for your time. I'll get going now," said Anan. "C'mon Ochaco. It's time for us to leave. I'll take you to UA so you can change and then take you home."

"Okay, but give me a moment please." Ochaco went up to Inko and bowed her head a little before raising her gaze back to the Midoriya matriarch. "Thank you Inko. I'll try to visit again but I don't know if I'll be able to. But if you need anything, anything at all, please contact me and I'll do whatever I can."

Without warning, Inko hugged Ochaco who was momentarily stunned before she relaxed and returned the hug. "Thank you Ochaco. You're always welcome in my house."

Ochaco felt happiness fill her over those words. When they separated, the two exchanged phone numbers and then the brunette walked towards Anan. Stopping when she reached her, Ochaco glanced back towards Izuku who was still unconscious on the bed. Get better soon Izuku. I want to spend time with you awake too… With no more delay, Ochaco left with Anan and closed the door behind her.

"Damn. My boy's already catching the ladies' attention," remarked Toshinori, making Natasha and Inko glance at him. "What? It's the truth."

Inko chuckled while Natasha rolled her eyes good naturedly. Moving towards the monitors, Natasha checked over them while Inko asked her if everything looked alright. "From these readings, yes. If things continue this way, he should be able to get Recovery Girl to heal him by mid day tomorrow. But we'll focus on sections of his body at a time so it's not too much."

"I see. Is there anything I can do?" asked Inko.

Natasha finished up checking everything before she turned around and looked at Inko before answering her. "Not really. Just try to relax a bit. I know how anxious you are right now. It's reminding me of that first session we had for Izuku together," said Natasha, slightly teasing.

"At least it was better than the next ones. I can't believe I never knew what he was going through," admitted Inko sadly, making Natasha feel awful for bringing that up.

"It's alright. You didn't know. No need to bring those memories back right now," advised Toshinori.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to make you feel that way," apologized Natasha.

Inko shook her head. "No, you're right. I can't keep behaving the same and expecting things to be different." She looked at her unconscious son. "Izuku changed and he's life is filled with so many new and different things and people. I think it's time for some changes for me too." She then looked at Eri, who was still holding Izuku's casted arm and alternating her gaze towards each adult in the room. "And I think it's time for Eri and I to go get some food," suggested Inko as she moved to the girl. "Eri, let's go get something to eat and then we'll come back. Okay?"

Eri looked up at Inko. As if on cue, a slight growl was heard from her stomach. Glancing at the two other adults, she looked at Inko again. "Can we…come back fast? I want…to be here…to see Papa…when he wakes up. And…can we get apples?" she asked.

Inko smiled. "Of course sweetie. C'mon." Eri allowed herself to be lifted up into Inko's arms. Turning around, Inko walked towards the door. "We'll be back soon."

Once they left the room and closed the door, Toshinori and Natasha looked at each other. "I still can't believe how lucky you got with this family. But you do deserve something nice finally," said Natasha.

Toshinori smiled at her. "Thank you." He looked at his protégé. "I can't believe it either sometimes."

Natasha smiled a bit before remembering something. "So, what did Recovery Girl say? She left while looking pretty pissed about something."

"That obvious huh?" asked Toshinori while Natasha just chuckled. He moved to the door and peeked out of it to see if anyone was around. Satisfied, he closed the door and walked back to her. He answered her in a quiet tone so no one could overhear from outside. "Chiyo said that my body can no longer sustain One For All for long periods of time thanks to overdoing it yet again and because of how much damage my old wound got during my fight. She estimates thirty minutes. Forty five tops, if I'm lucky."

Natasha's eyes widened as she sucked in a breath. "From three hours down to thirty minutes?!"

"I know." Taking in a breath, Toshinori exhaled slowly before answering. "It's unfortunate. I'm gonna have to figure out how to do certain things now, like teaching my classes."

Natasha however, was concerned about something else. "That may be, but I think you have something more important to worry about." When he gave her a confused look, Natasha sighed and gestured towards his protégé. "Izuku. How are you gonna teach him to properly handle his quirk when you can barely use yours long enough for a warm up?"

Toshinori rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb. "I don't know. I might have to get more help. And I'm gonna have to tell him about this new limitation."

"Are you sure?" asked Natasha. "Wouldn't that just put more pressure and stress on him?"

"Knowing Izuku, he'll do that to himself already when he wakes up. He'll think everything that happened was his fault," replied Toshinori sadly.

"Well, then you better make sure that he doesn't believe that at all. And so will I when we have our sessions again," advised Natasha.

"I will and yeah, that'll be good for him after everything he saw and went through." Natasha nodded and turned to leave the room but then Toshinori asked her something else. "How's Father John doing?"

Stopping in front of the door, Natasha glanced back at him. "He's doing as well as he can be after what happened to Ibara. I thought for sure that he'd snap and break his vow. I could see it in his eyes how much he wanted to go after the bastard who hurt her."

"Sounds like him. He was pretty protective of you too back in the day. And I wouldn't be surprised or hold it against him."

"Even if they had you go after him again?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Toshinori however wasn't affected by her glare. In fact, he grinned. "I'd even let him go again too."

Natasha's glare turned into a surprised expression. She was quiet for a moment until she asked the one question she wanted to ask the Symbol of Peace for the longest time. "I've always wanted to know…why did you let him go?" she asked.

"Because the day that I finally caught up to him, was the day that I found out some nasty things. And that's when I realized that the HPSC had set him up to be their fall guy. I couldn't let that happen because I believed he was a good guy at heart." A smile formed on Toshinori's face as he raised his hand and gestured to her. "I was proven correct when he became a religious man and took in an orphan who somehow made it here from Russia to escape the purge. He raised that little girl as his own daughter and helped her become an incredible doctor. The same doctor who was recommended by Chiyo who helped my protégé overcome many of his issues. And became another trusted confidant for our secret."

Natasha's eyes watered over what he said but a grateful smile formed on her face. "Thank you All Might. I swear, you and Izuku can always count on me. I will do everything I can to help Izuku. No matter what."

"Thank you," said Toshinori. Natasha nodded and left the room. Now that he was all alone with Izuku, Toshinori moved to stand beside him. He then sat on the chair that Ochaco was using before grasping his casted hand. "My boy…I'm so sorry. I should be the one lying there. Not you. I'm sorry for letting you down. I'm sorry for not ending the fight quicker. I'm sorry for everything. I hope you wake up soon. Inko and Eri are waiting for you too."

Toshinori then remembered how Ochaco stayed by his bedside all night and how she was angry on his behalf. He also remembered all the statements that were made to the police officers by his other students and how he was allowed to see them thanks to his close friend in the force.

He couldn't help but have a large grin spread on his face. "And they're not the only ones my boy. Looks like you've caught the attention of several beautiful young girls. When you wake up, I'm gonna make sure you don't live your life alone like I did. As important as hero work is, you still have to live your life. Saving people can only mean so much if you come home to an empty house. It's only because of you and Inko that I realized that there's more to life than what I believed. If there's only one lesson that you'll listen to or learn from me, I'm gonna make sure it's that one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure you'll be alright all alone?"

"I'm sure. Thanks again Anan."

"Of course. Just let me know if you need anything Ochaco."

"I will and same to you."

Saying her farewell, Anan left the apartment and Ochaco closed the door behind her. Setting the locks on it, she then turned around and walked into her small living room. Sitting down on her couch, Ochaco let out a long sigh as she finally allowed herself to relax. And in doing so, she seemed to finally notice how exhausted she was.

It made sense because of what she went through in the past twenty four hours. From the USJ incident to what happened at the hospital. Sleeping in a chair didn't help her body rest at all, though she did see some good dreams. And going to UA to change out of her costume took its toll on her. Not to mention how she saw the many missed texts and calls from her friends and even from her parents that made her become worried about what they were going through. She didn't contact them just yet though. The ride home courtesy of Anan and a police escort was filled with anxiousness because Ochaco was thinking about a million different things.

But sitting on the couch and finally relaxing as she was with her exhaustion hitting her, Ochaco wanted nothing more than to just sleep for the next two days. Yet that wasn't to be since her phone rang a few minutes later.

"Auuggh," groaned Ochaco before she picked up her phone and brought it to her ear without opening her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Ochaco Uraraka! Is that how you greet your parents after not answering your phone for a long time?!"

Eyes snapping open, Ochaco sat forward in the couch. "Mom! Dad! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you guys calling! My phone was left at UA while I went to the hospital and…"

"WHAT?!" shrieked Ochaco's mother, making Ochaco move the phone away from her ringing ear while wincing but she could still hear her mother. "Akira, our baby's at the hospital!"

"WHAT?!" Ochaco heard her father and she guessed that her mom put the phone on speaker now since he started talking. "Ochaco honey, we'll be there soon as we can and heads are gonna roll when I…"

"MOM! DAD! I'M FINE!" shouted Ochaco into the phone to get their attention. "I'm sorry for yelling but I'm okay. I'm not hurt," she said in a normal tone now.

Silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then, audible sighs of relief were heard before Akira spoke. "We're glad to hear that. But why did you mention the hospital and why didn't you pick up your phone? Your mother and I have tried reaching you for a while now. And after what we heard on the news about villains invading UA and the conference held by the principal, we've been worried sick even though they said everyone was fine."

"I know, and I'm super sorry about that. I'll explain everything, I promise. But it's gonna take some time," said Ochaco.

"That's alright," replied Akira. "Hana and I have some free time at the moment. Work is slow right now so go ahead."

Ochaco frowned at that but decided to not dwell on that and tell them what happened. "Alright. Well, yesterday we went to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint or USJ for short, for rescue training in the afternoon. And…"

Ochaco spent a good amount of time explaining almost everything down to the detail about what she went through. Her feelings. Her thoughts. What her classmates went through. What happened to her favorite pro hero. What happened to Midnight Sensei. What Izuku Midoriya did for them all and what happened to him. How she accompanied Thirteen to the hospital so she wasn't alone and why she forgot her phone in the process. Befriending one of the head doctors there. Learning that Izuku was there too. How she spent time beside him and what she learned about him from others. The little girl Eri and everything else.

When Ochaco finally finished, her parents were quiet for a bit. Until Hana spoke up. "Ochaco, sweetie, all I can say right now is how relieved I am that you're alright. I can't say I know how you're feeling after going through all that. Just know that we're always here for you. If you need us, we'll be there, no questions asked."

"And no matter what others say, or what you might even think, we're proud of you," said Akira.

"I know and thank you," replied Ochaco happily, feeling comforted by their words.

"Also, please remember this Ochaco," started Akira, waiting a moment to make sure that she was listening before he continued. "We trust your judgment. We know you'll always do the right thing. And from what you've said about this boy, we won't mind at all if you start getting closer with him."

Ochaco knew she was once again blushing up a storm but did not try to argue or refute her father's words. She had come to terms with what she was feeling for Izuku last night. Some might say it was too fast and maybe even cliché that she fell for the one who saved her. But she didn't care. Because she never felt this way before and she knew that it wasn't just because he saved her. There were other reasons behind it too.

Controlling herself the best she could, Ochaco took in a breath before exhaling it out. "Thanks for trusting me. I do want to get to know him better and get closer. But I don't want to rush things."

"That's our girl," stated Hana with a chuckle, making her daughter smile. "Alright, we'll let you be for now but we expect you to call us every day until you start UA again. We know how busy it'll get once it starts back up again but we expect at least twice a week."

"Deal," agreed Ochaco before letting out a sudden yawn. "Mom, Dad, I'm gonna go sleep. I'm so tired. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay?"

"Bye!"

"Sweet dreams!"

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!"

Hanging up the phone, Ochaco forced herself to get up. Going to her bedroom, she undressed and just tossed her clothes into the corner and got into bed with just her undergarments. She put her phone to charge on her nightstand, put on her mittens and then got into a comfortable position to sleep.

Her eyes barely closed when her phone rang again. "Ugh, really?!" Annoyed over her sleep being disrupted once more, Ochaco reluctantly got up and retrieved her phone after taking off her mittens. Seeing who it was on the caller ID, she answered. "Hey Tsu-chan."

"Ochaco-chan!" greeted Tsuyu with a rather worried tone. "I thought something happened to you, kero. We tried calling and texting you so many times."

Her annoyance faded away only to be replaced with guilt. She did see the missed calls and texts from her friends asking if she was alright when she got her phone from her UA locker. She did plan to call them back but forgot after speaking with her parents. "I'm sorry Tsu. I didn't mean to worry you or the others. I forgot my phone in the locker rooms and just got it back recently. I was gonna let you all know I'm alright but I was so tired that I just wanted to sleep as soon as I got back home," explained Ochaco.

"Well, at least you're alright. Just try not to do that again, okay?" requested Tsuyu.

"I won't, I promise."

"Alright. By the way, I know you're tired but the girls want to hear from you too so they know you're alright."

"Okay. I'll call them."

"We're already here, girl!"

Ochaco was startled over that. "Mina?!"

"Yup, yup! We were already talking together and Tsu added you into the call," informed Mina cheerily.

"Hiya Ochaco!"

"Hey Ocahco."

"Hey Toru, Kyoka. You guys doing alright?"

"Now we are! We thought something happened to ya!" exclaimed Toru in a worried tone.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my phone…"

"Yeah, we heard," interrupted Kyoka kindly. "So we get it, it's cool."

"Thanks girls," replied Ochaco with a small smile.

"So, is Thirteen okay?" asked Tsuyu.

"Oh yeah she is!" answered Ochaco happily. "She's actually walking around already! Well, with a cane but still! Plus she took me to UA so I can change and get my phone and then brought me home."

"Feels good to know that one of our teachers is walking around already," remarked Toru.

"Hopefully the other teachers recover quickly too," said Tsuyu.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Kyoka let out a sigh before she continued. "Hopefully Midoriya recovers soon enough too."

"He will! Natasha said he'll recover because he's strong and resilient even though his entire body was broken!" said Ochaco suddenly without thinking.

"Wait, what?!"

"How do you know this?!"

"Who's Natasha?!"

"What aren't you telling us?!"

Ochaco's eyes widened and she suddenly felt anxious and a little bit afraid. She knew how highly her friends thought about Midoriya too. She should've kept what happened to herself but it was too late now. "Alright, I'll tell you." Ochaco took in a breath and then exhaled it out. "When I went to the hospital with Thirteen…"

The next couple of hours were spent with Ochaco explaining what happened to her last night and today in the morning before coming home. Throughout it all, her friends asked her questions and made some comments while they all felt several different emotions whirling around inside of them thanks to what they learned…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How's she doing?"

"Still unconscious."

"That's very concerning. It's been over twenty-four hours now. We should look for signs of brain damage."

"Brain damage? Isn't it a little too soon for that? Maybe she's just exhausted. She did suffer through a lot and she did regain consciousness several times for a few minutes each time."

"True. But then she went right back to sleep. If things don't turn around for her soon, it could be serious."

"I guess you're right…should we do the follow up tests?"

"Yeah. We should start."

"Good evening, what's going on here?"

Both medical personnel turned around and found the red haired doctor looking at them. "Dr. Dobrev! You're back already? I thought your shift ended," said one of the two.

"It did. I went home and came back already," she revealed.

The two other doctors glanced at one another with shock. "It's been that long already?!" asked the second.

Dr. Dobrev chuckled before responding. "Time flies doesn't it? Well, go on and take a break. I'll take over from here."

"Don't have to tell me twice. I'm exhausted," said the first.

"Yeah, thanks. We could use a break," chimed in the second.

Natasha acknowledged them as they left before she moved towards the patient on the bed. Giving a look of sadness and concern, she then let out a sigh. "They're not wrong though. C'mon Nemuri, I know you can make it. Fight and come back. Many people are waiting for you."

At that moment, the door opened and Natasha turned around to see who it was. "I didn't think you'd be here so early," she remarked.

"I'm actually right on time," replied back Nezu, who was sitting on the shoulder of what looked to be a private security officer. "Any updates on Kayama?" he asked.

Natasha shook her head. "Nothing yet," she said sadly.

Nezu gave a solemn nod. "I see."

"Who's the suit?" asked Natasha, gesturing towards the suit wearing officer.

"Oh him? Don't worry, he's nobody," answered Nezu. The person in question didn't even react over that and Natasha found that strange but said nothing. "Dr. Dobrev, please let me know if you need anything. Recovery Girl can only do so much, especially with her services being needed in many hospitals and at UA."

"I know," stated Natasha. "And she's gonna stop by tomorrow since Midoriya woke up already."

"Oh? That's good news. Good news indeed. She already healed Thirteen, so she should also check on the other three instructors too, no?" asked Nezu.

"Yes, they're stable enough to receive her treatments tomorrow too."

"Splendid." Nezu moved his gaze towards Nemuri. His outward appearance may have been stoic but inside he was filled with fury. Unknown to them all, Nezu had sworn retribution on behalf of one of his most trusted staff members. And for his students who suffered the most. Returning his gaze to Natasha, Nezu gave a curt bow of his head. "Thank you Dr. Dobrev. Please keep me updated. I have to get going now since I have an important meeting to attend."

"Understood. See you around." After Nezu and the suit left, Natasha let out a sigh before turning back towards Nemuri. "Well, let's make sure there's no more surprises for now," she said as she moved towards the monitors.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said Sayaka Waruiaka.

"You accommodated me. It's only fair to return the favor," replied Nezu.

"True. I dare say you've been busy since the USJ invasion," remarked the president of the Hero and Public Safety Commission.

"Oh, you have no idea," remarked the principal of UA.

"Then I'll cut to the chase."

"Please do."

Sayaka narrowed her eyes slightly but quickly had her expression go back to neutral. "Well, I heard that one of your staff members has been incapacitated and you don't know when she'll be able to wake back up fully. And even after that, she'll probably need time to recover. Both physically and mentally thanks to what she suffered through."

"Yes, and UA will be there every step of the way to help her through it," stated Nezu with conviction.

"I've no doubt about that and I'm glad to hear it. But, in the mean time, who's going to cover for her lesson plans at UA?" asked Sayaka with genuine interest and concern.

"We have suitable plans for our current staff members to alternate and share the workload so we'll be just fine," said Nezu without hesitation.

"I see. But wouldn't that just cut into their own classes and make them less efficient?" questioned Sayaka.

Nezu had a small smile spread on his face but there was no joy behind it. "Oh? Are you trying to say that my staff is incompetent?"

Sayaka actually chuckled at that. "Heavens no. Everyone knows not to discredit your staff. Well, at least the smart ones unlike that reporter you so viciously grilled in front of everyone. I'm merely stating my opinion on this. Nothing more."

"Nothing more," repeated Nezu slowly. "Is that so?"

"Well, I do have an idea. If I may make a suggestion?" asked Sayaka.

"I'm always open to ideas, opinions and suggestions. That's why UA has flourished all this time."

"In that case, this might be right up your alley then." Sayaka opened one of her desk drawers on her right and pulled out a manila folder. She placed it in front of the hybrid animal.

"What's this?" asked Nezu, intrigued and curious as he reached for it and opened it. A written document was the first page and he read it. His eyes widened slightly after he finished reading it. He moved it aside and looked through the other documents. On the last page, it contained an image that Nezu looked at for a few seconds before raising his gaze towards Sayaka. "This was why you called for this meeting?"

Sayaka couldn't help but smirk. "Perhaps. Do you disagree?"

"Why do this? What are you planning?" asked Nezu with concern as he set the documents down.

"You know as well as I do that UA is under a lot of scrutiny right now. Your press conference helped a little to ease the public's perception of UA. However, the way you responded to that one particular reporter didn't help your case much."

"Oh? And this will?"

Sayaka didn't respond immediately. "It might. Plus, you do know of the stipulation that the Prime Minister put in when you opened the school. That you can run things as you see fit but if he, or any of the highest government offices, such as the HPSC, find some things to be lacking or something is proven to be a cause for concern, we have the authority to step in to help provide for or to fix things."

"I don't remember us lacking in anything," countered Nezu with narrowed eyes.

"Oh come now, Nezu. I may not believe that, but you never know with other offices. And you know this isn't that big of a deal. It'll help keep other government sectors from butting in. It'll also show the public how UA is still strong. Especially when they offer up a chance for someone to atone. Didn't you even say that you'd give a chance to this particular person?"

"Why are you doing this Madam President?" asked Nezu. She was about to respond when he held up his paw, making her remain silent. "I mean really. Let's be open and frank with one another. You should know that I would be very suspicious about this. So why do this? Are you actually offering friendship or is this another ploy to try and go after my students? Especially the ones All Might and I warned you not to get near?"

Sayaka thought about that and decided to not play games for the moment and reveal her true plan. Well, some of it anyway. "Very well. I honestly would be shocked and even concerned if you weren't a little suspicious." Nezu waited for her to continue and she took in a breath before she did. "Part of it truly is because I respect you and your dedication to protect your students and faculty. And so, I figured if I step in and make it look like I'm keeping an eye on things to make sure all is well at UA after the USJ incident, then other government agencies won't try to get involved. That will let you do as you please as you always have without their interference. Also, it'll give an opportunity to someone who I too believe should be given a chance for redemption."

"I'll take the compliments and agreed on the redemption chance. But, it sounds like I'll only have to deal with your interference," remarked Nezu with a serious tone.

Sayaka wasn't bothered from his comment and merely gave a half smirk. "True. I'll be expecting reports from that person and I'd like the both of us to work together on certain events and issues. Maybe even have your students help out in extreme scenarios. And, I'd also like to be able to offer internships and recruitment to some of your students."

"And become part of the HPSC's hit squad while masquerading as public heroes when they're older?" questioned Nezu with a rather serious expression on his face.

Sayaka leaned forward in her chair and locked her sight with Nezu's. "Look, you and I both know how the world really works. Sacrifices must be made to keep the world spinning. Would you rather I try to recruit them when they're out in the field? Should I do as my predecessors have done, like blackmail, extortion, bribes and many other terrible things to get heroes to do the necessary dirty deeds to keep society functioning?"

Nezu remained silent while keeping his sight locked onto hers. He was waiting to see if there was any more she wanted to say.

Sayaka waited for a bit but when he didn't say anything, she leaned back into her chair. "Principal Nezu, I don't wish for us to become enemies. I respect and admire your intelligence, your drive, your dedication to your students well being and everything else you do. Many others do as well. I'd much rather we work together to keep our country, our city, our citizens safe. You know as well as I do that every day brings about more challenges and more trouble than the day before. We can be stronger together rather than working alone. So, will you agree to this and work with us?" asked Sayaka.

Nezu didn't reply back immediately. Thinking about everything very quickly and efficiently thanks to his quirk, Nezu came to a decision a short while later. "Madam President, what I said before, I meant it then and I still mean it now; you're far more capable than the previous President."

Sayaka tilted her head in acknowledgement but remained silent.

Nezu closed the manila folder and rested his folded paws together on top of it. "If you agree to some alterations and changes to your requests, perhaps we can give this partnership a trial run."

"If it's reasonable, perhaps we can make this work," replied Sayaka.

"For starters, if I agree to 'recruit' that person for a chance of atonement, then their fate rests with me and me alone while they remain under my employ. Meaning, if a mistake is made by them, no one will get involved as I will handle it. And your reports that you ask of, I must be given a chance to look through them before they send it to you."

"Worried about information about your students being sent to me?" asked Sayaka with a smirk.

"Naturally. Personal information is important to safeguard. You don't need to know every little thing."

"Don't even have the time for it. Alright, that's fine with me since I respect that. Then just major things and possible concerns then." Nezu thought for a bit before he nodded. "Alright. What else?" she asked.

"Your request to have my students help in certain situations…you may only ask them with me there as well. They must be told of all the dangers before hand, they must be paid appropriately for it, it's only going to be for that particular incident and above all, if they don't agree to it or want out for whatever reason after they agree, you cannot coerce or force them to do it in any way or to stay."

Sayaka thought about that and decided to add her own addition to it. "Very well but you cannot force them to not take it either or to take them out if they're willing to stay."

"Fair enough. As for being able to offer internships and recruiting students…you'll only be able to do so with students in their last year at UA. For internships, you can tell them about the darker parts of your duties but you cannot let them be directly involved with it. For recruitment, you'll be allowed to do so with the same stipulations; if they turn you down, you will not ask them again. And if they do join, but learn it's not for them later on, you will allow them to leave at once with no issue or repercussions."

Sayaka thought about what Nezu said and at first, it sounded like a good deal. However, she was able to see the drawbacks to it. "Only your final year students? By then, most of them have already chosen their fields and paths. It'll be slim pickings."

Nezu had his usual smile form on his face. "Yet there's still more than enough for you to choose from since not all of them will have something planned from the get go. And young adults do change their minds about a lot of things so you'll still have a chance either way to at least offer them. Plus, I don't want them to become jaded right in the beginning. This will allow them to focus on the…good parts, of heroics and not the darker side until they've matured a little more."

"A little late for that, don't you think, Principal Nezu?" asked Sayaka seriously.

"Perhaps. The USJ incident will definitely be an eye opener for some. But that doesn't mean that I want them to experience things like that all the time," replied Nezu.

Nodding in understanding, Sayaka couldn't blame Nezu for wanting to preserve their innocence for as long as he could. Whatever was left of it anyways for some of them. "Very well. I agree with your conditions."

"Good. I also have a couple more things." Sayaka tilted her head but then gestured for him to go on. "First, is once this agreement between us has been signed and documented, this agreement shall stay in effect for one year as a trial run. The second is that if I find out about any treachery, then I retain the full authority to cancel this agreement at that time without any repercussions from the HPSC, whether directly or indirectly and the atoning party will still stay with me."

Sayaka didn't say anything for a bit. "You're really milking this for all its worth, aren't you?" asked Sayaka but Nezu remained silent. She let out a sigh. "Very well, that's fine with me as I'm not planning any backstabbing with you. However, if you decide to do any double crossing, or if I prove that the so called treachery is false, then I get one undeniable request from you and you must fulfill it."

"That's also a rather dangerous condition," mused Nezu out loud. "I agree to that but if it involves my staff or students, then it can be refused."

"Only if they choose to refuse," changed Sayaka. A few seconds later, and Nezu nodded. "Alright then. I agree to these terms."

"Splendid. I'll have this written up and we'll go over it together with both of our legal teams. I'll be back Sunday afternoon. And I expect my new staff member here at that time and ready to come to UA with me that same day."

"You don't waste time do you? And how do you know I'll be able to do that in time?" asked Sayaka.

Nezu's smile widened just enough to be noticeable. "My dear Madam President, if you cannot do that, then we have no deal. Good thing that you're one of the few people in this country that has the connections and the position of power to get that done in less than two days, even with going through the proper legal channels."

Unable to help herself, Sayaka chuckled while shaking her head. When she finished, she looked at Nezu and stood from her chair. Extending her hand out to Nezu, the principal of UA grasped her hand and she spoke. "I guess we have an accord. I'll see you Sunday to make this official. I hope we have a long lasting partnership."

"We do and I hope so too. But, let's see how this trial run goes first," said Nezu as he shook hands. Letting go of her hand, Nezu picked up the manila folder and jumped onto the security officer's shoulder who had been in the room with the two all this time and they left the office.

Sayaka sat back down on her chair and a large smile spread on her face. "Huh. That was easier than I thought it'd be. I'll still need to be careful though. One wrong slip up and everything will be revealed." Looking at her computer screen that was facing only her and on the entire time, her eyes narrowed with her smile fading away as she looked at the image of the future new UA staff member. "You better be appreciative of this opportunity. As much as I understand what happened and how it wasn't entirely your fault, I still don't believe you deserve this chance. No matter what Nezu says. At least you'll do something useful before you die…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nezu was seated in the backset of the car while looking at the documents again. The security officer he had with him was driving the car. It was at first silent between them for the first ten minutes as they headed back to UA.

The security officer glanced at his side mirrors while driving and then moved his sight to the rear view mirror. Satisfied with something, he eyed the road again. "I think we're in the clear."

"Me too," agreed Nezu as he kept rereading the information on the documents.

The security officer made sure he had enough space between their car and the car in front of him before undertaking his next action. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and with his free hand, reached up and grasped around the area under his ear. Finding the correct spot, he grabbed hold and then pulled off the very realistic face mask off quickly and then tossed it towards the passenger seat next to him.

"Ah, that feels better. I can breathe normally again."

"I'm sure, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi," commented Nezu. He looked up towards the rear view mirror before he asked his question. "So, what parts were true and what were false?"

"Surprisingly, most of what she said weren't lies," revealed Naomasa. "But, there was some lies spread around in her words."

"I knew it. And they were?" inquired Nezu.

"She was lying about believing that person deserves a chance of atonement. Plus, about the reports thing too."

"Hmm, I had predicted those two at the very least. Any others?" asked Nezu.

Naomasa thought for a bit. "There were a couple other things, like the backstabbing but it was more of neither a lie nor truth."

Nezu allowed that eerie smile appear on his face. "I see. I must give her credit for being able to walk that fine line so well. I guess I'll just have to be extra careful from now on. Thank you for helping me with this Detective."

"You're welcome and it was my pleasure. I never did like the HPSC," remarked Naomasa. "By the way, don't you think that they're getting too much out of this deal compared to what you got?" he asked.

Nezu chuckled before looking down at the image in the folder. "I can relate to that. And not really. The kinds of heroes they want to do their dirty work are the naïve and desperate ones. I'll make sure that none of my students ever feel desperate and that they let go of their naivety before graduating. What I and UA will receive in return is actually priceless."

"Priceless? Really?" asked Naomasa in disbelief. "How so?"

Nezu nodded as the two of them looked at each other via the rear view mirror. "Oh yes, Detective. The amount of information they'll know about the HPSC is a veritable gold mine. Not only that, but I believe that there's still a small spark left within them. And I know just the perfect person who'll be able to fan it aflame once more by just interacting with one another which will be unavoidable. When that happens, we'll have one of the best back on our side."

"Hmm, that is, if the HPSC doesn't figure out what you planned. Or if they don't have a secret way to get reports out. Or if they have some way of controlling that person," warned Naomasa.

Nezu couldn't argue about that since those were possibilities. "Even so, the risk is worth the rewards in the end. And like I said before, just have to be extra careful."

"True. But, how did you know that they'd bring up that particular person after they learned about what happened to Midnight?" asked Naomasa.

"I had planted that seed during our last interaction but I would've never guessed it'd happen like this due to what happened to Midnight. If I knew it'd turn out like this, then I wouldn't want it to happen at all. But what's done is done and Midnight's sacrifice wasn't in vain however. She saved the students and unknowingly made this happen due to her noble actions. She's a true hero and no one can tell me otherwise."

Naomasa noticed that eerie smile on Nezu's face through the rear view mirror and he merely nodded back. Putting his full attention back on the road, he thought about how things could go sideways on this. But if everything went the way that the Principal of UA planned, which he and many others would want it to go that way, then it could be one of the biggest blows against the HPSC. And it could even set things up for their ultimate downfall in the future…

Author's Notes - Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! As you saw, things are gonna get very interesting with the HPSC getting involved, UA getting the spotlight from the public and news, Ochaco meeting Inko and Eri, and a new mystery person! The next chapter is gonna focus on Izuku, his recovery and a couple other things he's gonna do. So stay tuned!

Also, the next chapter, chapter 21, is already up for pa tre on members! I'd really appreciate it if you can become a member as I'm trying to become a full time writer. I'm not asking for much either so if you can, that'll be awesome and I'll be very appreciative of it. If not, that's fine. You'll just have to wait longer to read.

However, it's gonna be the only way to read my all original story that's gonna be posted up there soon along with some member exclusive goodies. I know I've mentioned it before a few times, but I've made some progress on it and some stuff is gonna be posted up soon. To become a member, just add /silentplayermc03 to the end of pa tre on's website!

Hope all is well, that I hear from you all so leave a review, fav and follow! Thanks in advance and take care!

My Active Stories (Take a look!)

The Blue Spirit

Tale of the Forsaken

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