Peace. Hope. Relief. These are the concepts that flourished in Japan. The whole country had finally seen the end of the pyromaniac that has plagued their country for over a year. People could finally leave the emergency shelters they were packed in and go back to their homes. Unfortunately, many people lost their homes and loved ones during his rampage. Construction crews were flooded with new jobs and the remaining heroes were mostly tasked with missing person cases.

But people could finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing their country was... well not exactly safe. There are still villains and criminals, but things are much safer than before. Safe enough for visitors from abroad even.

Might Tower

"Wow, wow! So this is Uncle Might's agency!" Melissa said in excitement as her eyes bounced around the agency like light off a series of mirrors. Her roommates weren't as enthusiastic. Izumi and Katsuki seemed to be stewing for some reason. "It's so cool that you guys got to stay here instead of a shelter!"

The positive blonde was all but ignored by her 'friends'. She sighed and got to the elephant in the room. "Yeah, I know. I still can't believe he and Aunt Inko are retiring. They've been at it since before we were born." Melissa didn't know it, but she had unknowingly opened a different wound.

"Yeah, and his last battle was with that psychopath." Izumi growled while clutching her right arm. "Dammit! I was so looking forward to blowing that bastard to hell!" Katsuki growled.

"So, how was the gear I made you? Did it help? I made those gauntlets as best I could while remembering your design requests." Izumi's eyes were shadowed by her hair as she looked down. "What's wrong?"

Izumi and Katsuki told Melissa about the green-haired girls hospital results. That her body was steadily degrading, and that she likely wouldn't have a future as a hero. Melissa was stunned and heartbroken by the news, but unlike them, wouldn't take it sitting down. She tried thinking of ways to combat this development. Diet change, special medications, maybe even cybernetic enhancements. Without realizing it, the blonde American had fallen into a full on muttering spree. The way words seemed to flow endlessly from her mouth, and how she moved her hands in the air like she was tapping and swiping on a holographic screen. It was just like how Izuku analyzed quirks, except he traced his finger on his palm like he writing in a notebook.

"Shut up!" Bakugo yelled, snapping Melissa out of her spree. "Mumbling nonsense isn't gonna help with this!" With that, Bakugo stormed out of the room. Izumi left as well, stating she needed some fresh air, not even trying to console Melissa or thanking her for thinking of solutions for her problem. The blonde just sat there dejected.

'They lost their mentors, they were attacked by a villain. I'll give them some time. I'll just call dad.'

Todoroki Household

"What?" Endeavor asked with the phone up to his hear. He was just informed that All Might and Teleki decided to retire as public heroes. All Might would still teach at U.A., but Inko was fully retired. The news was especially shocking to Endeavor as this meant he was now the no.1 hero. He had finally claimed the title he had worked his whole life to achieve. But all he felt was... frustration. It wasn't earned, it was just because All Might was stepping back. He should've earned it with his own strength, not by him failing! But then, he failed as well. Technically, Hawks was the one who stopped the Green Devil while he was beaten into the ground.

"Endeavor, I know inheriting it like this is disgraceful, but as it stands, you are the best hero we have now. After seeing how hard you fought everyone will-"

"Put All Might on the phone now, Tsukauchi." Endeavor cut off the detective. Enji was a very observant man, he understood All Might better than most people would think of him. He knew there was something else at play here, and he had a feeling it had to do with the Green Devil somehow. Endeavor heard shuffling, and then All Might's voice. Unsurprisingly, he was in the same place as Tsukauchi.

"Talk, what's the real reason for your retirement. Your body hasn't degraded to the point of being useless, and don't give me crap about wanting to focus on teaching." With a sigh, All Might explained everything. He broke far easier than Endeavor was expecting. Was it really that bad?

...

While Endeavor was listening to All Might's tale, the Todoroki siblings were eating dinner and watching the news. Shoto was unnervingly quiet and carried an ugly scowl on his face. "So Shoto, uh, aren't you glad the Green Devil is finally gone?" Fuyumi asked, but received nothing more than a light growl. "How was it working with heroes and kids your age?" Natsuo asked. "Annoying." Shoto answered coldly.

"The End Of The Devil's Hell"

"Citizens all over Japan are expressing their relief and gratitude to the brave heroes that put themselves on the line for our sake. Our beloved Musutafu is getting closer returning to its peaceful self every day. The heroes haven't been slacking, I'm getting word that a large prison carrier is flying over the ocean en route to the super prison: Tartarus. Whatever number of criminals and villains it's carrying, they will never be seen again."

Shoto finished eating his food and stood up. "I'm going to bed." he said.

...

It was unimaginably worse than Endeavor could've imagined. The Green Devil was Izuku Yagi, All Might and Teleki's presumed dead son. Apparently, he was so horribly beaten down by the world around him and his own family that he ran away and became a vigilante. Even then, his suffering continued, molding him into the terror that nearly tore apart Japan. Hawks kept him alive, and he was set to be locked up at Tartarus.

"I know I caused this, I'm sorry. Keeping him alive like this may not be the best decision, but I-"

"Shut up," Endeavor cut him off, his voice didn't come in a yell. In fact, he hadn't yelled since All Might was put on the phone. He released a sigh before speaking again. "Do with your family what you will, but the fact remains that you were directly involved in the boy's descent, which led to the loss of countless lives. So take responsibility. Don't let him out of your sight again, or you'll have a hell of a lot more to pay."

Endeavor hung up before All Might could respond, and looked at the flowers that decorated his walkway. Rei's favorite. 'You're not the only one who has wrongs to make right.' He stayed there for a few long moments before finally walking back into his house. As he walked in, he passed an angry Shoto. They didn't say a word to each other, his glare made it clear it he was in no mood for words. There was no need. Enji knew the look in his eyes all too well.

Shoto and Enji went to sleep that night with one resounding thought: 'The blue flame user is next!'

...

"Seriously?" Amajiki asked. "No way!" Togota exclaimed. "Seriously, you guys, I saw him!" Nejire told her friends. "He was all angsty and the size of a first year! He was Teleki's missing kid, but Ryukyu won't tell me anything more even though I was there. I'm so curious! Why was a hero's kid so cruel? If he was quirkless, why did he have such a strong quirk? What else can he do? Hawks seemed to know him pretty well. Midnight, too? Could they be old pals? I have so many questions!"

Nejire went into another questioning spiral Togota and Amajiki were used to. The soon to be third years were just glad at least one of them was still themself after that world-changing event. However, one question out of her motor mouth stood out to them.

"Why did Hawks pretend to kill him?"
"HE DID WHAT!?" Amajiki and Togota yelled, to which Nejire immediately covered her mouth. "...Can you guys keep a secret? And also, don't tell Ryukyu." she said. Nejire needed some answers, questions were exploding out of her.

...

"It's... It's over. He's gone. Ladies and gentlemen, the Green Devil is gone! Hawks delivered the final strike! Our days in hell are over! The devil has been ended!"

The first report of the Green Devil's "death" was replayed on a tablet in the bedroom of the Yaoyorozu daughter. Momo watched that report every day with a mix of emotions. She didn't know whether to feel relieved, ecstatic or... "It's for the best, he will haunt no one else." she told herself.

Momo's hand went to gently grasp her neck. Every now and then, she felt that sensation of the devil's flames coiling around her neck. The worst was the nightmares of her parents holding her motionless body as she drew her final breath. As the months after that traumatic event passed, the nightmares lessened. But they gave way to new dreams, recurring memories and new feelings. Instead of fear and terror, she woke up disheartened.

'His eyes... they looked so miserable. Like he despised himself. His voice when he talked to me, it sounded... hurt. He didn't choose to live the way he did. It's good that he has been stopped, but was death really the answer?'

Those cold, dark green eyes flashed in her mind again, but this time with a clearer image. Messy black and white hair, freckles and a scar. For some reason, whenever she involuntarily thought of those eyes, it lead back to either the Green Devil or Zu, and his words would echo in his head. "A sheltered creature like you doesn't know the first thing about me!"

Momo put her face in her hands and sighed. "Even before Japan was terrorized by the Green Devil, he still lived in Hell on Earth. Bullies, abusive family, no one to help him. Zu, please be okay. If you are, I hope you find someone who can help you."

Tartarus Transportation Aircraft

A large, black aircraft flew over the seas. With it's wide span wings that held it's propellers, sharp nose and cargo spacious enough to carry a hundred, it somewhat resembled a bird of prey. One that would peck off the scum of society's underbelly. The aircraft en route to the fortress built to house the worst villains Japan had seen. If any of the on board inmates got too rowdy, the pilot could flip a switch and they would all be dumped into shark-infested waters. Worst of all, they're Quirk Canceling Cuffs kept them from using their powers. Despite having the capacity for many, the precautions were taken for only one.

The person that nearly won a fight against Japan's forces. A person capable of breaking the world inside and out. The hellish terror that countless heroes and villains died to. And yet, the real reason they were able to beat him is because of his own exhaustion and neglecting to take care of himself. It took everything they had to defeat an unwell opponent, and they only scraped by in the end. If he had been healthy, the heroes would have lost the final battle. That is the person aboard this jail bird.

"100,000 says I can out fly this bird. Hawks are faster than eagles, you know." Hawks said in the seat next to the pilot. "We can race to the mainland and back after we drop off this little monster." the pilot said.

"How long until he wakes up?" Hawks waved his hand dismissively. "Doctors said days after we drop him off..." Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, and Hawks stood up to inspect. "...but the kid has a knack for surpassing expectations."

In the holding area, there was one single bed with a black and green-haired kid strapped to it in handcuffs, under the vigilant watch of the R-Rated Heroine: Midnight. Hawks and Tsukauchi approached him as he stirred and opened his eyes. "Welcome to the world of the living, clone." Hawks joked, earning a glare from Tsukauchi and Midnight. Izuku just closed his eyes. "Heh, sorry." Hawks chuckled.

Izuku opened his eyes again and tilted his head, past Midnight he saw a window with the horizon in sight. He was high in the air, and couldn't use Psycho Flames. "A first class flight to your island getaway, pretty cool, huh?" Hawks said. Izuku breathed in deeply.

Jokes aside, Tsukauchi took a seat in front of Izuku, keeping his eyes fixed on the boy. "Before we land, I have some questions, if you don't mind." Izuku just nodded. The notebook they confiscated gave them great insight in his mental state from back then to now, but some questions were still left unanswered. "What do you know about Toya?" Izuku opened his mouth for the first time since he awoke.

"Not much," he began in a hollow voice. "I'd never heard that name until Hawks and Mirko said it in reference to me. I know it holds something of importance to Todoroki though." Tsukauchi nodded and wrote that down. "Don't get your hopes if you want me to talk about Rei...!" he said threateningly. Midnight placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, nobody who has been good to you is going to get dragged down." Izuku's shoulder twitched at the contact, and she promptly removed her hand.

"Okay, do you know anything about the man you met briefly after fighting Endeavor?" Izuku shook his head. "Just a raspy voice, purple patches under his eyes and intense heat." Tsukauchi confirmed he was telling the truth.

"I had a partner called Detective Moori, a man with green skin and two antennas on his head. His quirk allowed him to see inside a person's mind and view their memories, and make copies of them in viewable media. He went missing, and we eventually found his burnt corpse. Do you know anything about that?" Izuku looked Tsukauchi dead in the eye and denied knowing anything about it. He told the truth, to Tsukauchi's relief and disappointment.

"This one is touchy. How were you planning to kill All For One?" Izuku's eyes became squinted in a hard glare at the ceiling. He answered in one resounding word. "Self-destruct."

The heroes and detective were stunned silent by this. He's been prepared to die this entire time, and he was hoping to take All For One down with him. They flew in silence after that, the atmosphere quite thick.

"Doomsday," Izuku spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "You compared me to the Quirk Doomsday Theory, I've read about that." Tsukauchi's eyes widened. 'He was awake enough to hear that!?'

"Over the generations, quirks mix and evolve. Eventually, they end up so powerful and complex, humanity can't control them and it leads to disaster. Extreme fire power in an unstable package, you've seen what I can do." Izuku then looked at Hawks. "So why am I still alive?"

The Wing Hero didn't turn away from him. "You know, you don't have to control everything. And the things you can't control, I find it's better to make peace with them. Besides, you never know, you might be a beacon of light for someone else like you." Izuku scoffed and closed his eyes. "As if there's anyone out there like me." Finally, they landed.

Counter-Quirk Maximum Security Prison - Tartarus
February 6th, 10:30am

Five kilometers off the coast of the mainland. To most, it's just another out-of-sight prison. But in reality, it's a dumping for the government to send those they deem a serious threat to society. Prisoners are split amongst cell blocks, each one further underwater than the last. In case of serious emergency, they can be flooded, drowning the inmates before they can reach the surface. Prisoners are placed in their blocks based on the severity of their crimes and the danger of their abilities. The worse the person, the deeper underwater they're buried.

The aircraft landed on a landing strip near the south exit, where its occupants were greeted and escorted inside by four armed guards. Apparently, having two pros and a policeman wasn't enough insurance already. Izuku was unstrapped from his bed but they kept the handcuffs on him. Once inside, they placed a Quirk Suppressant Cuff on his ankle. Tsukauchi excused himself to go to a different room.

"They're here, aren't they?" Izuku asked, making the detective stop in his tracks. Izuku's eyes were in a cold, dark glare and a vein throbbed on his forehead. "I've had a burning in my chest since we landed. They're here." Tsukauchi was frankly stunned. The cuff on his ankle was designed to suppress powers better than the ones at the hospital. He shouldn't be able to do this. Unless it's not his quirk, but pure, unadulterated hatred. Tsukauchi just meakly nodded, making Izuku growl.

"Put me on the lowest level." he said with no room for debate. "Planned on it, now walk, Psycho." A guard said while aiming at the boy's back. He didn't even flinch. Tsukauchi released a sigh before going to a security room. Just as Izuku stated, they were there, watching, listening. Crying. Mourning.

Inko and Toshinori, after all these months, still couldn't believe what had become of their son. What their parenting had done to them. "Izuku..." Inko whispered. Toshinori had his head hanging low in shame and self-disgust.

Lowest Level

Izuku was walking silently down the halls. Every now and then, prisoners looked through their windows and saw a kid in chains, flanked by pros and guards. "A kid? Ha! Seriously!?" "What is this, a school field trip?" "Hey brat! Think you got lost on your way to kindergarten! Took the wrong bus!?" "Hey kid! I'm gonna make you my bitch!" Izuku didn't pay these lunatics any mind, and just kept walking. Compared to the burning sensation back up on the surface, this was much better. It wasn't until one prisoner succeeded in getting under his skin.

"How much did your mommy cry when you were taken?"

Izuku's eyes shot at the cell to his left, his face contorted into a terrifying look of fury. The inmate actually took a step back at seeing the boy's eyes. They seemed to glow beneath the darkness of his hair, in a demonic way.

Bang!*

The cell block was silenced as the sound of a gun shot echoed throughout. "Silence, you animals! Or the next bullet is going through someone's skull!" Everyone was understandably quiet after the threat.

Except for one.

"Your first five minutes here, and you're already pretty popular." Hawks said to Izuku, who didn't look at him or speak at all. "Ya know, you've gotta be the youngest person to ever get locked in here. That's a good conversation starter, right? You're setting records here, man." Still nothing. Midnight jabbed her elbow in Hawks' side.

He finally decided to forget about trying to lighten the situation. "*sigh* I'm sorry, this is my fault. I promised I'd help you build a better life-" "And you delivered," Izuku cut him off, finally talking back to the bird. "You kept your word. Thank you."

Hawks and Midnight were completely dumbfounded. Being housed in a prison of the worst criminals in society was better than the life he had before!? Which isn't completely wrong. It's like middle school, but without Bakugo and the Yagi's, and the staff wouldn't let him get into fights. Wow, prison is better than his middle school.

Midnight and Hawks, and the others who read his notebook only know half of Izuku's story. He only started writing it on the night he ran away, giving bare bones information about his home life. It was clear he wanted to leave that part of his life behind. They mostly have hunches and guesses about the life he lead before. Thanks to Yaoyorozu shutting Aldera down, they could at least conclude his school life was hellish.

They finally came to a stop outside their destination. Izuku didn't look up at his door, but was intrigued when he heard a voice from the other side.

"Well this is a surprising," a lady voice said. "I was sure you'd come back to me as a plate of crispy wings." Hawks chuckled. "Glad to hear you had so much faith in me." Izuku finally looked up and his eyes were met with purple ones.

"So you gonna explain the kid?" she asked. "I know you." Izuku said cryptically. In the window he saw a woman with shoulder-length indigo and pink hair.

Hawks smiled. "Happily, Izuku meet the person I replaced: Lady Nagant, also known as your new cell mate!"

"Come again?" Izuku and Nagant asked.

Against the all other's belief, Hawks had somehow managed to do something that was against the rules at Tartarus: get two prisoners clearance to share a cell. That explains why Nagant was recently transported to the lowest level, she thought it was a sign the Hero Public Safety Commission was getting jumpy. Although, she never would've expected this. It was surprising enough that some brat was thrown in there, but on the lowest level? Could he really be...?

Before Nagant could start a protest, the door was already open and Izuku was shoved inside before either of them could refuse. "Have fun in there, and play nice you two!" Hawks waved with a grin and closed eyes. Nagant scowled. "What the hell are you up to now, replacement?" Izuku's eyes widened slightly at the use of that word. 'She has one, too?'

Midnight came up to the window. "Izuku here is, well wasthe Green Devil." Nagant's eyes widened as she looked back at the angsty teenager behind her. "Seriously?" she asked, almost sounding unimpressed. Hawks spoke next. "And Kaina here-"

"Former Hero Public Safety Commission hero: Lady Nagant, Quirk: Sniper. Your right arm turns into a rifle and your two-toned hair can be pulled off and formed into ammunition. You were arrested for supposedly killing fellow heroes." Izuku revealed, surprising everyone at how informed he was.

"...Yup, buh-bye!" Hawks waved, followed by Midnight and the guards. "Are you sure about putting them in there?" "Not really!" he answered with a wide smile. "But maybe having someone who shares the other's pain will be good for them. I mean, that's how it went with Rei."

...

"So, you have one, too?" Izuku asked, confusing Lady Nagant. "A replacement."

Nagant sighed and leaned against the door. "Yeah, he keeps swinging by just to get on my nerves. At this point, I don't even bother telling him to leave. He's annoying as hell, but he's a good kid. What's yours like?"

Izuku sighed. "Never met her. Strange, considering she's close to my "family". From what I know, she's a tech girl who wants to play support to heroes." Nagant sighed and sank down to sit on the floor. "So what's the Sniper Hero doing in a place like this? What's your real story?"

"Titles don't have a place here, so drop the hero name-calling, Izuku." The boy sat down. "Have it your way, Kaina."

Surveillance Room

"See? They're already getting along." Hawks said. Everyone except Inko and Toshinori face-palmed.

"You put him in a room with a convicted criminal!" Inko screamed. "Need I remind you he's done a hell of a lot worse than she has? Unlike Nagant, he's done enough that the public believe he deserves death." Inko couldn't dispute that.

"Why is he still handcuffed? The others in there aren't." Toshinori asked. "Izuku asked them to keep the cuffs on." Tsukauchi answered. "To keep him from, quote "wringing the throats of any scumbag who could be useful." Part of him is still hunting All For One, but overall he doesn't trust himself anymore." If Izuku is to suddenly snap, he'll at least be somewhat restricted.

A fifteen year old locked up in a fortress for some of the worst people on the planet. If this is what society is coming to, what else does the future hold?