The teacher's lounge was eerily quiet.

Aizawa stood near the window, arms crossed tightly over his chest, his narrowed eyes locked onto the figure sitting across from him. Toshinori Yagi—All Might—had his elbows propped on the desk, his fingers laced together as if in deep contemplation. The room was dimly lit, the blinds partially drawn, and the distant murmuring of students and faculty outside barely registered in the background.

All Might's form was hunched slightly forward. The weight of the conversation ahead pressed down on his already weakened body, yet his face betrayed no cracks.

Aizawa exhaled sharply, pacing once before stopping. His voice was low, but the steel behind it was unmistakable.

"Talk."

All Might closed his eyes briefly. He had expected this. He had known this confrontation was inevitable. The moment Aizawa had locked eyes with him after the mock battle, it had been written in stone. The only question now was how much to say.

Aizawa had already held his tongue longer than most would have. But today, after what happened in the gym, after watching a student... a student who was supposed to be have his damage reflection quirk... Was now able to nearly reduce another to dust with raw, unchecked power... Aizawa couldn't afford to let this go.

"You knew something would happen, didn't you?" His words weren't an accusation, but a statement. "That's why you didn't flinch. Why you didn't interfere when Midoriya was struggling. Because you knew."

All Might's fingers twitched slightly, but otherwise, he remained still. "It's not as simple as that."

"No, it is simple Toshinori," Aizawa snapped, stepping closer, his sharp gaze piercing into All Might's eyes. "You knew something like this might happen. And yet you let it play out anyway." He leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to something more dangerous. "Why?"

All Might hesitated, his fingers tightening around themselves.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "You weren't even surprised, were you? A student who was registered as quirkless since he was a child, then having a quirk that I personally witnessed as reciprocal damage. Now suddenly throwing a punch with enough force to shatter reinforced concrete, and you're just..." His voice had a bite now, cold and controlled. "How did he get that strong? And why does he have a different quirk?"

A tense beat passed between them. Then, All Might sighed, running a hand through his blond hair before leaning back into the chair. His voice, when he finally spoke, was measured, careful. "I was concerned. But I had to let it play out. I needed to see it for myself."

Aizawa's grip on his arms tightened. That was not an answer, but a deflection. Not the answer he needed.

"And what, exactly, were you looking for?" Aizawa asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Because what I saw, was a student using a completely different quirk from what he had before. And that's not even mentioning the fact that he damn near shattered the entire gym in the process."

All Might remained silent, but the tension in his posture gave him away.

Aizawa inhaled sharply through his nose, forcing himself to remain composed. He didn't like secrets. He didn't like being kept in the dark about something so crucial to his own damn students. This wasn't a small, insignificant detail. This was something that had the potential to upend everything.

When he spoke again, his voice was low, firm, a quiet demand. "I need the truth. Now."

Another moment of silence passed. Then, slowly, All Might straightened in his seat, exhaling as though he had finally made a decision.

"He lost it."

Aizawa frowned. "What?"

A pause.

"What I can tell you," he began carefully, his gaze steady, "is that when Midoriya was found at the League of Villains' hideout… his quirk was lost and the doctors later confirmed it was permanent."

Aizawa's brows furrowed, his mind instantly moving to analyze that information. "Lost…? What do you mean lost?" His arms unfolded as he straightened slightly, watching All Might closely.

All Might nodded. "He told me, and his mother, that after the USJ incident... after the villains took him. The quirk he once had was no longer there. Whatever was done to him, whatever they put him through, it stripped him of his quirk."

Aizawa stilled for a moment. The quirk Midoriya had used against him in their first day at U.A. A powerful, almost cruel ability... one that forced attackers to feel the pain they inflicted upon him. Was now gone? That wasn't how quirks worked. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. He didn't speak, waiting for more.

"And that's… not normal. There aren't many people who can do something like that." All Might continued, voice even but weary. "He's been trying to adjust. But something… something happened during his captivity. I don't know what would have caused his quirk to disappear, and I don't know how. But I do know one thing." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "What I can tell you, Aizawa, is that Midoriya's new quirk has nothing to do with the League of Villains."

Aizawa studied him.

He wasn't lying, but he also wasn't telling him everything. Aizawa felt a knot tighten in his gut. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of information, trying to make sense of it all. "So you're telling me Midoriya lost his quirk. Fine. I'll believe that for now," he said, his voice edged with restrained frustration. "But you're not telling me why the hell he has another one now? Where did it come from?"

That question hung thick in the air.

And All Might carefully, deliberately—did not answer.

Aizawa's patience snapped. His hands slammed onto the desk, the loud thud reverberating through the room. "Damn it, Toshinori," he growled, voice sharp with frustration. "I need to know what's going on. You're keeping something from me, and I don't appreciate being left in the dark when one of my students is involved in something this dangerous." His fingers twitched in irritation. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" He shot back. "If you knew Midoriya had lost his quirk, why didn't you inform the staff? Why keep it quiet? Clearly Principal Nezu knew..."

All Might hesitated. "Because it is a secret I cannot tell."

Aizawa scoffed. "That's bullshit and you know it." His voice was sharp, edged with controlled anger. "He is our student. Keeping secrets like this—especially something this severe puts everyone at risk! And it nearly cost Kirishima his damn life today."

All Might's gaze didn't waver. "I didn't know it would happen like this."

"But you knew something would," Aizawa shot back. "You knew something was different. If you know what is going on, you need to control this!"

A tense silence stretched between them.

Aizawa exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "So let me get this straight. Izuku has an ability that lets him destroy practically anything with a single punch?" He gestured toward the door, toward where the gym that was obliterated. "Does that sound normal to you?" His mind was running through the possibilities, dissecting every angle, every inconsistency. "And you're telling me this isn't connected to the villains?"

"It isn't," All Might said firmly. "Not his quirk."

Aizawa clenched his jaw, his frustration barely restrained. "And I'm supposed to believe that? That he's not some ticking time bomb just waiting to go off?" His fingers curled into his sleeves. "Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?"

All Might closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply before reopening them. "I know how it sounds." His voice was calm but unwavering. "But I need you to trust me."

Aizawa let out a sharp breath through his nose, his gaze cold. "Trust isn't exactly something I give freely."

"I know," All Might's expression softened slightly.

Aizawa's jaw tightened. His instincts screamed at him that something wasn't right. That there was more to this than All Might was telling him. But no matter how hard he pushed, he wouldn't get the real answer. Not today.

"You understand that if one more thing happens—one more slip-up, one more incident where Midoriya can't control himself..." Aizawa's voice was deadly quiet, his eyes dark. "Then it won't matter what the school or the police have chosen to keep quiet. I will personally ensure that the truth about Thirteen's death is made public."

All Might's eyes widened slightly.

Aizawa's gaze didn't waver. "Volition or not, Midoriya killed a pro-hero. And you know damn well that this silence, this… cover-up, doesn't make it go away."

All Might didn't immediately respond, his face carefully neutral.

"Midoriya might be innocent," Aizawa continued, voice still low. "But the trouble surrounding him isn't. He is somehow connected to the League of Villains, and I will not stop until I find out the truth."

A heavy pause.

Then just as Aizawa turned to leave, just as he reached for the door—All Might spoke.

"There's something else."

Aizawa stopped in his tracks, his head turned slightly back.

All Might hesitated, as if debating whether to continue, before finally exhaling sharply. "During the time Midoriya was held captive, he mentioned… seeing someone."

Aizawa turned back, his brow furrowed. "Who?"

All Might's hands clenched slightly against the table. His throat felt dry. "He… he met someone. A man in a mask. Someone who… reassured him. Who told him he would be saved. I don't know for certain, but it reminds me of someone... someone I defeated of a long time ago."

Aizawa's blood ran cold.

All Might hesitated again, before forcing the words out. "I don't know if it's real or not. I don't want it to be real. But if what Midoriya says is true… then there's only one person who could have done what happened to him."

The weight of the realization pressed down on them both. Aizawa's fingers twitched at his sides, his breathing slow and measured. Because if that were true, if there was even the slightest possibility—

Then that meant…

Aizawa didn't speak. For the first time in a long time, true unease settled deep in his bones. If that was true… if there was even a shred of truth to what Midoriya saw… Then this only made his suspicions grow, that the worst was far from over. He was going to find this out himself.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Look forward to more coming soon and I hope you have an amazing day. Let me know what you think of the story so far? How do you think this will progress? Excited to see your reactions as always!