The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the sterile hospital room. The dim overhead light cast faint shadows over the figure lying motionless on the hospital bed. Aizawa Shouta's face was barely visible beneath the thick layers of bandages, the bruises and deep cuts hidden beneath gauze. His eyes, heavy-lidded and clouded with exhaustion, slowly flickered open.

A dull, throbbing pain coursed through his body, anchoring him to the reality of what had happened.

USJ. The attack. The masked villain, and then, darkness.

His breathing was shallow, his throat dry as he tried to move, only for a sharp jolt of pain to remind him of the battle's aftermath. His body wasn't ready—his quirk had been overused, his muscles torn and frayed. The hospital's painkillers did little to dull the deeper ache settling into his bones.

Aizawa barely had time to register the sterile environment before a deep voice spoke beside him.

"You're awake."

Aizawa turned his head slightly, meeting the weary but firm gaze of All Might. The Number One Hero sat beside the bed, his usual towering figure slouched slightly in his chair. His uniform was wrinkled, and there were deep lines beneath his eyes.

Aizawa swallowed, wincing at the raw pain in his throat. "How… long?" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

All Might exhaled. "Four days. You were in and out for a while."

Aizawa's gaze remained unfocused for a moment. Four days. It felt like both an eternity and the blink of an eye.

A heavy silence stretched between them before Aizawa spoke again. "What's the damage?" he rasped.

All Might's jaw clenched. He looked like he had aged years in mere minutes. "Worse than expected," he admitted, rubbing a hand over his face. "The students are shaken. Some of them—Uraraka, Kaminari, and Yaoyorozu—haven't stopped blaming themselves. Kirishima and Todoroki are keeping everyone together, but… the fear is there. They all saw what happened." He hesitated before continuing. "The media has torn into U.A. The government is demanding immediate changes to security. There are talks of parents pulling their children out."

Aizawa closed his eyes, his fingers curling into the hospital sheets.

Of course.

He had known this would happen. An attack on U.A. meant an attack on the entire foundation of hero society. The school was supposed to be the safest place in Japan, a fortress for the next generation of heroes. And yet, the villains had walked through the front door and torn it apart.

"They played us," Aizawa murmured, his voice bitter. "It wasn't just about causing damage. They wanted to show us that they could walk right in and take whatever they wanted."

All Might nodded grimly. "And they did." His voice was heavier now. "They took Midoriya."

Silence stretched between them. Aizawa's gaze darkened. "What do we know about them?"

All Might inhaled sharply, leaning forward. "The masked villain. The one who killed Thirteen." He hesitated, and for the first time, Aizawa saw uncertainty flicker across the man's face. "He… was different."

Aizawa's brow furrowed. "Explain."

All Might took a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "His quirk," he finally said. "When I fought him, I landed a clean blow. It was enough to break ribs, enough to incapacitate anyone else… and yet…"

Aizawa noticed the slight twitch in All Might's fingers. The way his left side tensed. The faint stiffness in his movements.

"…I felt the same injury."

Aizawa's breath hitched slightly. His mind immediately pieced together what that meant. "You're saying that the damage you dealt to him… you felt it too?"

All Might nodded slowly. "It wasn't just a delayed impact. It was instantaneous. The exact same pain. It was like punching a mirror."

Aizawa's blood ran cold. That shouldn't be possible. Unless…

His fingers twitched. A deep frown pulled at his lips as his thoughts spiraled toward something impossible.

"That's Izuku's quirk," he thought to himself. "The ability to reflect an attack onto his opponent. A one-for-one exchange."

Aizawa swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He had personally overseen Izuku's quirk evaluation when they fought, but he always kept it to himself. There was no mistaking it. That masked villain—who had fought All Might, who had murdered Thirteen in front of the students—had the same ability as Izuku Midoriya.

His stomach twisted.

All Might noticed the sudden shift in Aizawa's expression. "What is it?"

Aizawa was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke. His voice was low, measured. "You can't tell anyone about this."

All Might frowned. "Aizawa, if we—"

"No." Aizawa's voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy air. He forced himself to sit up despite the pain, his narrowed eyes locking onto All Might's. "This doesn't leave this room."

All Might hesitated. "Why?"

Aizawa exhaled through his nose, gathering his thoughts. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't want to say it—not even to himself. "The quirk you just explained, it's exactly what Izuku Midoriya's power was when I fought him in a mock battle on the first school day."

All Might was silent, he could not believe the words coming out of Aizawa's mouth. He began to speak, "But—"

"You never saw it before," Aizawa cut him off immediately. "I kept quiet about his quirk to you and the rest of the teachers…" He paused, "Of course you wouldn't have known, you were telling me how he won the villain vs hero mock battle without even using his quirk…"

Aizawa looked back at All Might. "Something always felt off. His fighting style, his demeanor... everything."

"Enough Aizawa," All Might retorted. "This is a kid we are talking about, a boy! Thirteen died and you're telling me Izuku Midoriya was the culprit?!" he slammed.

"But if Izuku was taken by the villains, then there were only two possibilities," Aizawa continued. "One: He was forced to fight against you, and they used his quirk for their own means. Or Two: He wasn't forced at all."

Aizawa clenched his jaw. "Either way, the truth could destroy U.A. if word gets out about this," he muttered, "The students will spiral, and if anyone even suspects that this masked villain's quirk is the same as Midoriya's, the media will eat it up. We'll lose control over the narrative. The school will be accused of hiding the truth about our students." He took a sharp breath. "And worse… the public will lose faith in heroes completely."

All Might's fingers dug into the arms of his chair. He understood what Aizawa meant. If Midoriya's quirk and the masked villain's quirk were the same… then what did that mean about Midoriya himself? They couldn't afford for that question to be asked.

Aizawa looked away, staring at the dim hospital ceiling. "For now, we keep it quiet. We go to Principal Nezu. We tell him only what we need to."

All Might exhaled heavily. His mind warred against itself. He had always believed in transparency, in bringing the truth to light. But this—this was different.

He had fought that villain. The way he spoke, the way he moved, the way he smiled despite the about him had felt too familiar. And now, he knew why. He met Aizawa's tired but unwavering gaze. And then, slowly, he nodded. "…Alright."

For now, they would keep the truth hidden. But neither of them could shake the feeling that they were already too late. Because if their suspicions were correct…

Then Izuku Midoriya had already fallen.

A/N: The teachers know? What will happen next? Drum roll please!