A/N: Still don't own anyone or anything mentioned in these chapters.
Otakufreak1799: It kind of was starting at the point where they get to the USJ, but I'm glad you still liked it.
James Birdsong: Thanks!
AnimeFan13579: Yes, there will be a tad bit of trauma, but nothing substantial (I hope). And who knows, but Momo has that going on as well.
Blaze1992:
.
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NIGHTMARES FOR NIGHTS! Just kidding, but as stated before, there might be a bit of mistrust after that.
Monster King: Appreciated.
Also, I just found out that I had the discord link set to expire every 7 days, so here's the permanent link.
gg/VKwGJCDw2d
A loud "I am here!" shook the USJ as the main doors were ripped off their hinges. And in the doorway stood All Might; his large frame casting an extraordinary shadow upon the bottom of the stairs.
"He's here! He came after all! We still have a chance to kill him," Shigaraki excitedly gasped. His fingers clenched and unclenched in anticipation of murdering the beloved Symbol of Peace. He could already feel the titan's skin crumbling in his grip.
"Tomura, Nomu is dead, the others are captured or unconscious, and that child is still watching us. There is simply no way we can hope to kill All Might today."
Shigaraki turned towards the purple haze that stood beside him. "But he's right there! And perhaps the mini-boss has a cooldown timer."
"We need to go, Tomura," Kurogiri repeated, this time more forceful than usual.
"Very well. I guess Master will have something to think about, though."
And with that, the man was swallowed by the haze. The mist quickly dissipated until there was no sign that either of them had been present moments ago.
"Everyone is accounted for, and no one has any substantial injuries. In fact, aside from some scratches and quirk exhaustion, everyone got off scot-free. Well, except Eraserhead, but he's already on his way to the nearest hospital and receiving treatment as we speak."
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi finished recounting the reports to the authorities and found himself by All Might's side.
"This could have been so much worse," the Symbol of Peace muttered. "If I had been there, the children wouldn't have had to fight. They're brave, but they shouldn't be facing something like this yet."
"I understand, but not even you can be everywhere at once. And, while extreme, perhaps an early insight at the world they're growing in will drive them to train harder," the detective replied as he looked at the very children in question.
One thing he noticed was that the green-haired child with a red streak was standing by himself. Naturally, he wasn't the only one standing alone, but the others seemed to be actively avoiding him. Every now and then Naomasa caught another student glancing at the boy before diving back into whatever conversations they were holding.
"Do you think it's true?"
"Pardon?" All Might asked. Wisps of steam had begun wafting from his body and blowing into the air. Luckily the two classes were already boarding their buses, meaning the two would have some privacy soon.
As the two transports finally began driving away, several cars drove up to the two, from each of which two or three teachers emerged.
"So it finally happened? UA was attacked?" Midnight questioned as she and her coworkers joined Tsukauchi and a newly deflated All Might.
"Indeed. As our friend already knows, only Shota Aizawa required medical attention; the rest suffered lesser injuries one would expect from battle. Well over forty intruders have been rounded and sent to prison, many of which required more attention than the students they attacked," Tsukauchi repeated to the staff.
"I am truly grateful such an incident yielded such minor results. It's a blessing that the children were well able to defend themselves," the chimerical principal stated from Snipe's shoulder. "But I do believe there was something about a 'monster' or two?"
All Might stepped forward to recount what he knew. "We haven't asked the students too much; forcing them to relive such an event before they are ready would be counterintuitive. However, there were consistent reports of a 'Nomu' and…Izuku Midoriya."
The Number One hero quickly explained the Nomu's purpose to kill him, and multiple viewpoints of Midoriya's transformation into something that even an "All Might Killer" could not beat.
"The body is still there, but I doubt we'll be getting anything more than an autopsy and a DNA test would reveal," Naomasa added. He had gotten a quick look at the creature. Even without the head, he could tell it was something he did not want to meet in person any time soon.
"I have a feeling we'll be needed to have a talk with Midoriya some time soon. But first, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for us to inspect the damages."
Purple haze condensed in a bar, from which a young man emerged. The mist itself recollected into a human form behind the bar counter and began washing the already clean glasses.
"You're back! Was there a lot of blood? Did you kill All Might? Was he there?" Toga had suddenly appeared in front of Shigaraki in her typical semi-hyper fashion.
"Yes, no, and if your 'crush' is some fucking invincible creature that eats brains, I wil personally drag you to the nearest psych ward for an evaluation," the man spat before commanding Kurogiri to get him a glass of water.
"Would you mind repeating…all of that?"
The three turned to the screen, where Tomura's "Sensei" had spoken from.
"What part? The part where one brat single handedly took on Nomu? Or the part where he ate Nomu's goddamn brains? Or how about the part where All Might didn't even appear until it was already too late?" With each question, Tomura's voice rose and his tone became more agitated.
"You mean to tell us that someone found a way around Nomu's Super Regeneration? I might have to find a way to fix that. But did you at least bring back the body?"
"I am sorry Doctor, but in my hurry to get Tomura out of there, I failed to consider bringing the corpse. And it would be suicidal to try to go back now," Kurogiri offered from the bar.
"But I think I have a new mission. That kid's quirk would be exponentially helpful in bringing about All Might's death. If we were able to capture him, you could take it and either give it to a new Nomu or use it yourself. Or perhaps hand it off to a successor."
In the dark room, All For One silently chuckled at Tomura's suggestion of giving him this powerful quirk. But at the same time, he was impressed at the amount of foresight he had for a single quirk. Either way, this was something to learn about.
"Perhaps. But I would like the details of this quirk."
There was no celebration. No cheers or whoops or hollers. Just silence.
Just twenty children taking in the fact that they and their classmates could have died not even hours ago.
Thirteen was supervising them in Aizawa's absence, and was already letting Hound Dog know that he was likely going to have a lot less free time on his hands.
"You all did well, you know that? For as much as you all lack experience, you held your own and even pushed the villains back. I know you're going through a lot at the moment, but I would strongly recommend a visit to Hound Dog sometime within the next few days."
A few students let out mumbled agreements with Thirteen's attempts to lighten the mood, and a few even made coherent responses. But most of them did little more than look up and nod before going back to staring at their feet or out a window.
"You've been awfully quiet ever since the fight. Something up?" Izuku asked in his head.
"I suppose. That brain was…wrong, like it was mixed. As if you had multiple chefs put different dishes together and tried to pass the required ingredients as Katsudon."
"But what does that mean? That there was more than one person's brain in there?" Izuku questioned, already prepared to go into a mumbling storm.
"It's a possibility. That thing was clearly tempered with. It had regeneration, and our hits didn't seem to do as much damage as they should have. And its raw power and speed alone are noteworthy."
"So regeneration, heightened physical capabilities, and some kind of impact nullification or shock reduction? Is it even possible for something like that to exist? It kind of reminded me of you in a way, but it didn't seem natural."
Izuku quickly zoned out as he contemplated the possibilities of beings with multiple quirks. It hadn't happened before, but with how quirks were changing over time, it was theoretically possible for a quirk that gained other quirks to exist. Even Monoma from 1-B had something similar with his copying ability.
Before he knew it, he and his class were pulling in front of UA's main entrance.
"I've gotten word from Nezu. He said you all have the rest of the day off, but you must stay on campus until the end of the day and schedule an appointment with Hound Dog for sometime before the end of next week. He also said you can notify your parents and guardians, and should they wish to visit, they can," Thirteen announced as the students began grabbing their belongings and getting off the bus.
Not too far off to the side, Class 1-B was getting off their bus, but with a similarly somber air to them.
"How's everyone doing?" Momo asked Itsuka once the two ran into each other.
"Not sure, actually. The ride back was quiet. Even Monoma wasn't saying much, which vastly differs from the attitude he had during the battle. And you?"
"Pretty much the same. I hope you all feel better soon," 1-A's vice representative wished before returning to her classmates.
Once back in the room, a majority of the students took their seats and began texting or calling their legal guardians.
Inko was, predictably, entirely rattled. Izuku did not mention the whole Nomu part of the incident, opting to just explain that a group of ragtag villains thought they could take on All Might together.
"I'm just so glad you're okay. I'll see you when you get home, okay sweetie?"
"Okay mom. Bye."
Izuku hung up and turned to his classmates, many of whom were breaking the news to their parents.
He wasn't stupid; he could tell some of them were ignoring his brief looks, and had stayed away from him while waiting for the buses.
And he didn't blame them. After all, how often does a classmate turn into some brain-eating, murderous beast that can kill an All Might Killer?
"Midoriya, how are you faring?"
Izuku turned to Tokoyami, who had come behind in the few seconds since he finished talking with his mother.
"Fine, I guess. Just still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened. How about you?"
"I am no stranger to the darkness. But to paraphrase an old proverb; the darkness you know is safer than the darkness that lurks behind it. We were in a new environment and faced an unexpected threat."
"So I gotta be the one to ask? Fine," Dark Shadow muttered before emerging from beneath Tokoyami's cape. "What exactly is up with you? I thought you were tough and scary before, but that was some next level gore."
Surprisingly, Scarlet didn't appear for a bout of arguing this time.
"I guess I just lost control for a little while. He's like you, after all; two beings with their consciousnesses. The only difference is he can control parts of, or my whole body if he decides to."
"Interesting. Quite the contrast to Dark Shadow."
"Midoriya, the principal would like to see you in his office," Midnight called from the doorway. Behind her, Snipe, Vlad King, and Ectoplasm passed by to return to their respective classrooms.
"Ok, I'll be right there." Izuku grabbed his bag and gave a quirk "Later." to Tokoyami.
The door to Nezu's office opened just as he arrived. Inside sat the principal himself, a teacher Izuku hadn't met yet, and Detective Naomasa.
"Greetings Midoriya! You already know me and Tsukauchi Naomasa, but I'm sure you haven't met Toshinori Yagi. He has business in this conversation that he would prefer not be aired."
"A pleasure," Midoriya offered while shaking the skeletal man's hand. He also greeted Naomasa and took the chair between the two.
"Before we begin, I want to make it clear that you are not in trouble, and anything you tell us will not leave this room unless all three of us feel the need to contact an outside party, is that okay with you?" Nezu cheerily stated, earning a quick "Yes, sir." from the student.
"Very good. First off, I believe it would be helpful to have your friend of sorts present as well."
A red growth formed on the teen's neck, which took the familiar shape of a monstrous head.
"To begin, I would like you to tell us what you know about this 'Nomu' and any speculations you may have. I've heard through the grapevine that you're a bit of a thinker."
"Just do remember that you don't need to talk about it if you don't feel ready, Midoriya," Yagi offered from the side.
"No, no, it's fine. Okay, I can say for certain that it had a regenerative quirk; it healed incredibly fast and the ringleader may have bragged about it at some point. It was also immensely strong. I'm sure you know it was designed to match and even beat All Might," Izuku rattled off.
"It also was not affected by our attacks as much as it should have been, indicating a kind of shock absorption or nullification aspect. And its brain tasted weird, like it was mixed with others."
"Yes, we were told about that. May I ask why you did that?" Nezu questioned.
"It wasn't human. There was nothing in its eyes and if we didn't put it down it just would have kept coming back for more. Killing it was a mercy."
"I can't exactly say I agree with that sentiment, but there is nothing we can do about it now. Just keep in mind that as a hero, you cannot go around killing villains like you did the Nomu. But back to your observations; do you believe that it had multiple quirks?"
The other two men turned to Izuku, each bearing a look of expectation beyond what the question would have warranted.
"I don't think it's impossible. Monoma from 1-B has a quirk that allows him to copy others, so it's also possible that the Nomu just had a quirk that let it permanently copy other quirks. But yes, I do believe it could have had more than one quirk. It's just never been heard of, so I can't say I'd believe it if I never saw that thing."
"I see. But that begs the question, what about you? Your quirk is unusually versatile and very powerful. I almost suspect that it isn't a quirk, but the byproduct of an experiment."
There was an unsettling weight of confidence in Nezu's statement, almost like he already knew the answer. And given who he was, it was entirely possible.
"No, he's not. Months before I came to U.A., I was suddenly diagnosed with lung cancer. Long story short, Life Foundation gave me a 'cure' that eventual-"
"Pardon, but you said 'Life Foundation', correct?" Nezu interrupted.
"You know of them?"
"Yes, yes I do. Much more intimately than I would like," Nezu replied while subconsciously rubbing at the long scar along his eye. "I take it Akio Tanaka was involved at some point?"
"Yes, he was. How'd you know?"
"He has a quirk that causes his targets to be more believing of what he says and open to suggestions. That's part of the reason I agreed to be part of his 'experiment' years ago. But I digress, please continue. You were at the part of the cure?"
The atmosphere of the room, which Izuku hadn't noticed had become so gloomy, quickly shifted to a much lighter mood. Izuku proceeded to explain what he could, with Scarlet filling in a few details from time to time.
"Thank you, Midoriya. You are free to go. Take care of yourself."
The student quickly grabbed his bag, bowed, and ran off. The doors shut behind him and left the three adults in silence.
"It can't be, I beat him. I felt his head cave beneath my hands," Yagi started muttering. There was a franticness to his voice akin to that of a warrior meeting a foe they took for dead.
"But we have to be prepared for this to be the truth. Ignoring the possibility would give him the upper hand; something that we cannot afford to give him," Nezu replied.
"I agree. If this is his doing, then it's likely that-"
Naomasa's statement was cut off by a ringing phone. He only needed a second to check the caller, and his eyes widened when he did. "It's the lab," was all he said before answering. He quickly shifted his shoulder to keep the phone pressed against the side of his head and pulled a notepad and pencil from his coat pockets.
As he and the person on the other side spoke, the detective scribbled notes in his book with an intermittent "uh-huh." or "I see." Soon enough he wished the speaker a good day and hung up.
"They finished the DNA test."
"And?" Yagi asked, while Nezu just leaned forward in anticipation.
"They're still not sure, but it's looking more and more likely that there's DNA of more than one person. So far they've found three matches that correlate to people who have died or went missing at least six months ago."
A/N: A bit of an abrupt end, but I think it works. Leave a review if you liked it, and have a good day!