It wasn't long after I regained my resolve to see this through without killing another person (due to the efforts of Shiina of course) that we were all in the middle of making our way to Hirata's room. He's been through hell and back, so it was imperative to see how he's holding up. It was then that we made it to the end of the fluorescent hallway where his room was. But before going in, I had one more thing to say.
"I'm really sorry about the way I acted earlier. I know that I already said sorry a whole lot. But I can't stress how regretful I am over my poor choice of words. I feel like I hurt you both with them. And I- I spoke only to be cut off before I could finish by Shiina gently squeezing my hand. We had been holding hands ever since we left Horikita's room. I was so filled with gratitude toward Shiina for bringing me back to my senses I just grabbed onto it without even thinking about it. But this was proof that Shiina didn't mind whatsoever that we were holding hands along with the gentle look on her face.
"Izuku, it's alright. I can't say I know exactly how you feel because something like that never happened to me before. I've never had anyone I was especially close to end up in the hospital. Well, at least until you and I… um… you know." Shiina replied as she averted her eyes from me while blushing bright red. This caught Sudo's attention.
"Nice dude." Sudo said while giving me a thumbs up. Though while it was nice to hear him compliment me, I'm pretty sure he's getting the wrong idea regarding what went down between me and Shiina. But that's beside the point. Though before I could say another word, Shiina beat me to the punch.
"I can't say I know Horikita all that well, since she's been my classmate for about two weeks. I haven't really gotten the chance to talk with her too. She's usually preoccupied with something else, and I'd rather not be a bother, you know?" Shiina continued while still looking slightly embarrassed.
'Yeah, I can definitely relate to her on that front.' Sudo thought internally as he also tried doing something similar on numerous occasions only for them to work about ten percent of the time. Mostly due to Sudo chickening out on talking to her because like Shiina he didn't want to be a bother, especially to a girl he really likes. But both I and Sudo were still listening to Shiina since she had a few more things to say regarding the topic of Suzune Horikita.
"But… I can tell that she means a lot to you. That's why I can understand how heartbroken you are… at least to a certain extent. Because well I… l-l-l- Shiina continued but stuttered a bit just as she was about to confess her feelings to me. But seeing her red cheeks and the overall embarrassed look on her face was super cute. I wanted to remember this memory forever. But it was difficult to do so without my phone. So, I did the next best thing.
"Hey Sudo. Can I borrow your phone for a sec?" I asked as Sudo nodded with a grin on his face while handing me his phone. This made it abundantly clear that he was already way ahead of me. But since I had no time to lose, I grabbed his phone and angled it so that it would capture the look on Shiina's face. And then…
"Say cheese." I said before taking a snapshot of Shiina's blushing face. Her eyes then went wide as she realized what happened right after the fact due to her being so mentally focused on saying three specific words. Though this certainly got her attention as her embarrassed look quickly became a pout.
"How could you do that?! You're so mean, Izuku!" Shiina spoke while pouting as she punched my arm a few times. (Though they might as well have been gentle taps as they didn't hurt in the slightest. In fact, it tickled a bit. So, I actually ended up chuckling a bit which only made Shiina continue to tap me on my arm.) But it was worth it since the look on her face was just too cute. Even Sudo agreed but now that he thought about it something seemed a bit strange to him.
"Hey Shiina. What's to be embarrassed about? Didn't you already confess your love to Midoriya already?" Sudo asked even though he remembered the conversation from a few minutes prior quite clearly. But his words caused Shiina's cheeks to grow flushed once more. It took her a few seconds to respond. (Because she was deep in thought of figuring out how to say it in the least embarrassing way possible.) This was the result-
"T-To be honest… I already prepared myself to say… 'that' emotionally. Like d-d-do you seriously expect me to say something like 'that' so willy nilly when there are other people around?!" Shiina yelled out while blushing bright red as her loud voice only drew unwanted attention to herself. This did not help in alleviating the fact that she was a blushing mess right about now. But hearing all of this only made Sudo think of one thing.
'You know she's not exactly my type, but man is she cute. Though who says 'willy nilly' anymore?' Sudo thought internally as he stared at Shiina who recognized it and grew more flustered. So, she decided to focus all of her attention on me. But while I was smiling and patiently waiting for what Shiina was about to say next, I couldn't be more unprepared for it.
"… Though maybe… I-I could say it more when it's just me and you around… and u-um… possibly some other s-stuff too… if that's okay." Shiina replied as she managed to find her calm and composed attitude once more by focusing on my smile. (Though she did occasionally stutter but that's beside the point.) What mattered to me was one and one thing only. The irrefutable fact that I love this girl so very much. So much so that I just had to prove it.
"Shiina…" I spoke quietly while grabbing her other hand so that now I held both of them within my own. This caused Shiina to smile as she looked at me before closing her eyes.
"You know, you don't have to call me 'Shiina' anymore. In fact, I-I'd prefer if you use my first name." Shiina said as she continued to keep her eyes closed since saying her wishes out loud for others to hear (Including me) was quite embarrassing.) But her saying this brought attention to the fact that I had been using her last name this whole time. Even though we should be on a first name basis now. Which meant that I had to do the same for her. This made my smile grow wider as I was going to enjoy saying what I was about to say all the more because of that. As for what I was going to say that was-
"Then Hiyori… want to get married one day?" I said clearly though I whispered the last part into her ear since I respected the feelings of the girl I was in love with. Well, that and some things are best kept between us. However, what I said suddenly caused an outpouring of smoke to be released from her ears causing me to be pushed back. But when I got a good look at her again there was no smoke. So perhaps it might have been my imagination. Though my grin grew wider when I noticed that Shiina's face might as well have been a tomato at this point.
'Wow and I thought I was easy to tease.' I thought internally with a noticeable smirk on my face since teasing Hiyori was just too much fun. But that same girl noticed the look on my face. And as her embarrassment faded her pout returned with a vengeance. And then…
"Y-Y-You are mean! And a bully! You're just a big mean bully Izuku! … Uguu." Hiyori snapped back at me while continuing to pout. But shades of red became noticeable on her face after she finished speaking. That made me all the more curious. Did it have something to do with what she said at the end that being 'Uguu?' Did she actually meant to say 'ugh' instead? Definitely. But that didn't lessen the fact that she unintentionally slurred her words. You know, Shii-I mean Hiyori is usually so composed and confident. So, it was honestly kind of nice to see her being kind of awkward. In fact-
'Huh? Oh, um, not really! I-I just really like mystery novels that's all! In fact, there's one over there, I'm too short and can't reach it. If you want, would you mind grabbing it for me? If you don't, that's fine too!' She was like this when I first met her, wasn't she? I hadn't seen much of that lately. So, the Hiyori I had been interacting with up to this point had been considerably different. Not in a bad way, mind you. It was that confident and assertive Hiyori that I fell in love with. Though this did not mean I didn't like the submissive and easy to mess with Hiyori because I'd be lying if I said I didn't like this side of her too. All in all, Hiyori had plenty of sides to her and I loved seeing them very much. After all I-
"Don't worry, I love you too." I confessed my feelings out loud so that she could accept saying those words to me in public even if it's far into the future. But my sudden confession drew the attention of the medical personnel as well as patients currently residing in the hospital. This in turn made Hiyori embarrassed once more.
"Izuku… I-It's not that I mind you saying that… b-but I could feel them staring at me… it's embarrassing. So, could you m-maybe just whisper it?" Shiina asked with a whisper of her own. But as she looked up at me (Since there was a noticeable difference in our height with me being three inches taller than her. I guess that's why she called me 'big.') Though the look on her face was utterly priceless. And since I was prone to saying things bluntly without thinking about what to say beforehand, this was the result-
"Can I kiss you?" I said out loud once more much to the shock of everyone around me and especially Sudo and Hiyori. My red headed friend could only think 'Damn!' With his jaw dropping to the floor. Though for the girl I was in love with, she couldn't keep her thoughts to herself.
"D-Did you not hear a single word I just said?!" Hiyori snapped back with a speechless look on her face while her eyes couldn't be wider. She wasn't even mad, Shiina was so genuinely shocked that she ended up shouting her words out of sheer surprise. But only after the fact did I realize my fatal mistake.
"Oh crap! Sorry! I meant to apologize about you know… doing 'that' the night before. I mean, I'm sure you don't mind but I really should have asked for your permission first. That was wrong of me to do. Sorry about that." I replied as I recalled that I had been planning to apologize about exactly that. (Though with everything that happened afterward and the revelations that came with it, I completely forgot about it.) That's why it was imperative that I apologized for it before we eventually kiss again! Especially if I'm going to be Hiyori's boyfriend from now on, I've got to be as much of a gentleman as humanly possible! Wait…
… Now that I think about it since we kissed and expressed our love to each other, doesn't that make us a couple now? It's got to be right? I really should make sure with Hiyori, just in case. But while I was deep in thought, all Sudo could do was stare back at me in shock and think to himself.
'Yeah! They definitely did it! I can't believe Midoriya beat me to it! What a man!' Sudo thought internally as he was absolutely mistaking what me and Shiina did though I couldn't possibly know exactly what he meant since I wasn't a mind reader. But what I could notice was (hypothetically speaking of course) That if Hiyori's head contained a pressure valve it would have two settings. At its lowest she would be as calm and composed as a cucumber and at it's highest that she would be an absolute blushing mess. And if that was the case then that pressure valve might as well be broken. Because right about now her face was so unbelievably red that she just couldn't stay around all of these people any longer. In fact…
… SHE NEEDED TO LEAVE LIKE YESTERDAY!
But she couldn't possibly do that, so she just chose to leave now. And since she and I were holding hands, she took me with her as her wings sprouted from her back and she flew out a nearby window all while holding me close to her chest so that I wouldn't fall. The result being that the people around us could only look back in astonishment as they were in shock over what just happened. The following are highlights of a certain few of their reactions:
"Oh my god! How in tarnation did she get those feathers of those on her back?!" An older person yelled out while speaking in the Kansai dialect. And since Sudo speaks Kansai (Or more like he tries to avoid using it but ends up speaking the dialect when he's mad or flustered or both.) He cringed hard while thinking to himself 'Oh god. Is that how I sound like whenever I'm pissed?' Btw here are some more reactions!
"Could she be one of these supes from America that are all the rage these days?!' Another person shouted as he was just as shocked as the old man from before and all the other people around him except Sudo of course. In fact, he couldn't help but show off a bit.
"Oh, if you think that's cool then check this out! I'm STEEL!" Sudo said with a smug look on his face as his skin became encased with steel. The people around him couldn't help but comment 'Wow!' And 'That's amazing!' But the old man's ears didn't work as well as they used to, so he thought Sudo said something completely different. And that was-
"S-Steal?! You're gonna steal from us, son?! Oh no! What's wrong with the youth of today? Please don't tell me they are all hoodlums like you?!" The old man yelled out while pointing his index finger at Sudo, though the latter could only stare back at the former in utter bewilderment.
'I-Is that geezer not all there or somethin?' Sudo thought internally before walking over to the old man. But he couldn't get far, as he only ended up getting a centimeter closer to him before the old man started yelling again.
"S-Stay away from me! You're not gonna steal from me! I have bills to pay and great grandchildren to feed! You aren't gettin my money even if it means I've got to fight you here and now for it, you whippersnapper!" The old man shouted before getting into a fighting stance. But as soon as he did, he couldn't help but yell out 'Ow! My back!' And after that he lost his balance and was about to fall to the floor. Sudo noticed this and was about to catch him but before he could someone beat him to it in a flash.
"Eh? I'm alive? I didn't just see those pearly white gates?" The old man muttered to himself but the blonde man much younger than him heard him clearly and nodded in affirmation.
"Yep. You'll be just fine. Just maybe take it easy, why don't ya?" Hirata replied with a slightly nervous look on his face as the old man had to been older than ninety years old and would probably snap in two if he wasn't careful with him. So, he had no choice but to not use his speed and take the old man to one of the nurses, who in turn escorted him back to his room. And after that, he and Sudo locked eyes with each other. And after a few seconds of silence the red headed man grinned at his class leader.
"So, I take it that means your back in action. Isn't that right, Hirata?" Sudo spoke while closing the distance between him and his classmate, the latter of which did the same until they high fived each other.
"Of course. Did you honestly expect that little injury to be the end of me? Maybe you, but something like that isn't going to kill me." Hirata replied with a confident smile before muttering 'Ow.' As his wound hadn't fully healed yet. Though it was practically ninety percent healed, and he was clearly out of the woods. Though this didn't mean the injury he sustained didn't hurt. Because it certainly did. And his groan of pain was proof of just that. It was exactly that that Sudo heard.
"Yeah, whatever. But if you're in this good of a mood then it's about time we talk, and by we, I mean Midoriya too." Sudo replied as the look on his face grew serious. Hirata noticed this as a similar look became noticeable on his face too. But he wasn't all too surprised to learn that important piece of trivia. And Sudo noticed that.
"So, you know already?" Sudo asked as Hirata nodded in affirmation. He had been listening to most of their conversation while resting in his hospital bed. Not that he could ignore them with how loud they were combined with the fact they were right outside his room. But that seemed obvious to Hirata. So, he proposed a different question.
"Then… does he know about Horikita?" Hirata asked as Sudo replied with a 'Yeah.' Before figuring out on how to continue to conversation because talking about Horikita and remembering the current state she's in fueled Sudo with an uncontrollable amount of pain and rage. But he knew that nothing was going to change by getting all pissed off. So, he maintained his calm and composed attitude.
"I filled him in on the details." Sudo continued while staring outside at the window. Hirata noticed the aimless stare of his classmate and knew that he too was suffering. In fact, everyone, all of their classmates were worried about Horikita in particular since their new professor refused to comment on the issue when pressed about it. Some of them even thought there was a chance that she could have ended up like Sakura. This made others even more worried and a few of their classmates were considering dropping out of the school altogether. Or at least that's the current situation going on that Sudo told him about. Hirata looked at the ground before continuing.
"So… how did he take the news?" Hirata asked though he had a clear idea on how Midoriya must have reacted. Out of all of the people in their class, he was by far the person closest to Suzune. In fact, he was the only person that she would smile at ever so often. Hirata knew this because he tended to observe his classmates to be the ideal Class Representative for Class A. Anyway, it was her occasional smile as well as her demeanor regarding Midoriya that made him suspect that Horikita might have feelings for their friend. Though he wasn't one hundred present sure of that since his superpower was speed, not mind reading.
However, even ignoring whatever Horikita's feelings for Midoriya are, that doesn't excuse the fact that they were close. It must have hurt him a lot to learn that the chance of her speaking again a fifty fifty at best. And that's IF she wakes up again. Who knows how long that could take? Losing Suzune was a huge blow. Not just to their class but more importantly whatever 'team' they had going for them. Since her power was to see the future of anyone she touches, that would prove indispensable in the future whenever their enemies show themselves again. They could have potentially taken the offensive with Foresight but that's not an option anymore.
Then… what do they do now? Just sit back and wait for their enemy to strike and gain the element of surprise like they had been doing up to this point? Their enemies have been constantly one step ahead of them. And it felt like they were fighting a losing battle. But since Hirata didn't want to trouble his grief-stricken comrade, he kept quiet about it. A few seconds passed by until his red headed classmate responded to his question ever so suddenly.
"About as well as I expected… is what I'd like to say but… never mind." Sudo replied but this made Hirata confused. He was about to say 'What did you mean by that?' But before he could Sudo continued talking.
"Anyway, it's nice to see you up and about. You know I was getting a bit worried since your hair was lookin a bit green." Sudo replied with a grin on his face as he wanted to avoid the topic of Midoriya having the intention of taking the leader of their enemies' life if he could help it. So, he thought up a joke on the spot to do just that. But this only made Hirata even more confused.
"Since when was my hair ever green?" Hirata asked as he looked at Sudo with a weirded out look on his face. But this made Sudo chuckle to himself for a bit before continuing.
"Don't take things too literally. It's just a joke." Sudo replied with a grin on his face.
"More like rather a poor attempt at one." Hirata replied with a grin of his own while chuckling a bit to himself
"Can it, buzzkill." Sudo said with an annoyed look on his face as he knew full well his attempt at humor was lacking. Out of his trio 'The three idiots' he was the strongest guy of them (Also the one who tended to get pissed at the drop of a hat but that's beside the point.) In contrast to him, Ike was the one always trying to hit on girls, and Yamauchi was the funny one. So, it was sufficient to say that he wasn't nearly as funny as his friend. But even if he wasn't now, that could change in the future. Who knows? Maybe one day he'll make Horikita laugh? That would be nice. But for now, he can't do a single thing to change that. He can only wait for the future to come to fruition…
Chapter 50: The Harsh, Dark Grey Sky
… In fact, that was all any of them could do. They could only stare at what was above them. The harsh dark grey sky, that is. And that's where me and Hiyori were right now. Currently in midair above the hospital as that sky was in plain view. It gave me an uncomfortable feeling as I always hated it when it looked like that. Because it always meant it was going to pour. And judging from Shiina's reaction she held a similar opinion as she looked toward me as if to avoid the sight of it. And before I knew it, we closed our eyes as our lips met each other again. I held her close to me and she did the same. I then thought back to what she said a few minutes prior to this-
'I promise to stay by your side from this point on. Not just because I love you. But because I don't want to lose you just as much as you don't want to lose me. So, we'll stick by each other no matter what. Doesn't that sound nice, Izuku? You don't mind me using your first name, right?' That's right. We promised to stay by each other's side. That's why I can't showcase my worries any longer. I must be the kind of man that can protect Hiyori. The kind of man who can always bring a smile back to her face, hero or not. That's why I had to alleviate her worries. But I couldn't just stop with just kissing her. I needed to say something too.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright. I won't be leaving your side. I'm going to protect you. And you're going to protect me too. That's what it means to love, right?" I whispered into her ear as she replied with a 'That's right' and a whisper of her own. But before we returned to the hospital, she had one more thing to say to me. And that was-
"I love you too, Izuku." Hiyori whispered into my ear before kissing me on the cheek. It was then that my heart skipped a beat as my cheeks unknowingly had shades of red now. And since Hiyori was super close to me, she witnessed this sudden change and smiled.
"Oh, Izuku. Is that a blush, I see? How cute." Hiyori replied with a chuckle of her own as she too enjoyed seeing me embarrassed just like how the reverse was true. After realizing this, I laughed with her. And with that, we returned back to the hospital to regroup with Sudo and the unexpected person accompanying him. My eyes went wide as I noticed Hirata standing up with a smile on his face. I was so glad to see that he was alright, to the point that I couldn't contain my excitement.
"Thank goodness, you're alright Hirata!" I blurted out before wrapping my arms around Hirata's back and pulling him in close, much to the surprise of the man in question.
"U-Um… y-yeah, h-haha." Hirata replied with an awkward laugh as this was most certainly the first time he'd been hugged by a guy. Though it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling. We remained like that for at most five seconds till the girl next to me voiced her own opinions on the current situation.
"Anyway, isn't there something you've been meaning to tell Izuku, Hirata-kun? We should be discussing that right about now. Don't you think?" Hiyori said with an ever so slightly annoyed look on her face. But I didn't get a good look at it. Instead, that honor belonged to Sudo.
'Yep. She's DEFINITELY jealous… still cute though.' Sudo thought internally with a wry grin on his face. Not long after that me and Hirata parted before the latter said, 'That's right.' And turned his attention to me once more before continuing.
"There's something quite imperative that we must discuss. However… it's best that we talk where no one can hear us. I'm betting that this hospital is recording everything we're talking about and if word gets out… that could be pretty bad. Though that being said I haven't completely recovered from my injuries yet. That's why the only place where we could be free to talk would be the roof. I trust you can handle that part, right Shiina-San?" Hirata spoke before turning his attention to Hiyori right when he finished speaking.
"Sure. No problem." Shiina spoke after giggling a bit since she now has a chance to show off her powers again, and more specifically to me. Not even a moment later, an array of feathers sprouted from Shiina's back. It caught me off guard since this was not how Fierce Wings worked when Hawks had it as his Quirk. This is because Hawks didn't have the option of doing what Shiina did and had his feathers out for everyone to see at all times. Though for Hiyori, it appears that she can turn them on and off like flicking a light switch. Interesting. If I had some pen and paper, I'd like to record these notes down. But before I could think of the topic any further, I noticed another difference. The color. They are-
"White?" I muttered with a confused look on my face. Though Hiyori heard me clearly and her cheeks grew bright red. She did not want to admit that she painted each of her feathers individually so that they would match the wings of an angel. Because in front of any other guy (Except Izuku of course.) Was just too embarrassing!
'WHOOOSH!' Before I knew it, all four of us were forced out of the nearby window due to Hiyori using her feathers. Since there were close to a hundred on her back, there were plenty to keep me, Hirata and Sudo in midair. In fact, she only needed to use a single feather for each of us in order to keep us from falling to our doom. Though I wasn't too surprised by this since this was something Hawks could do. And since my girlfriend (I mean she's practically my girlfriend, right?) is really smart, something like this is child's play for her. But that didn't stop a certain somebody from worrying.
"HOLY SHIT! I'M GONNA FALL!" Sudo shouted at the top of his lungs as his eyes shot wide open upon noticing how high up, we were. For reference the floor we were on was the twenty fifth, meaning that we'd be pancakes if Hiyori happened to lose her train of thought. But again, I wasn't really concerned about that cause I trust her. She on the other hand-
"N-No you won't! I-I promise you won't fall! S-So don't worry!" Shiina yelled out as she was sweating bullets over how nervous Sudo was which put her into a panic. And as her boyfriend (We've got to be at this point, right?) It was my duty to calm her down.
"Don't worry Sudo. Everything will be fine. After all, Hiyori can do anything." I replied while closing my eyes with a smile on my face. I truly believed in the girl I loved with all my heart. Though I couldn't see her reaction, my words did the trick as she immediately stopped panicking and regained her composure. However, she didn't exactly agree with my words. Though she chose to keep that part to herself.
'I… can't do anything. I wish I could… but I can't. If I could then I'd heal Horikita-San on the spot and relieve Izuku of his worries. That's why there are just some things that I can't do no matter how much I want to… but even still… I can at least be there for him from now on. That's the role I must play to perfection. I won't accept any failures on my part. Because… I love you.' Hiyori thought internally while smiling to herself. It didn't take long at all for her to fly to the roof of the hospital and make sure we got there too.
'Whooosh.' It was there that I took notice of the harsh, dark grey sky above me again. It was becoming darker and darker with the passing of each second as it would soon be nighttime. It would be a while before the sun rises again. But to ensure that I must do my best for everyone! There must be something that I can do! Perhaps whatever Hirata plans to tell me will prove vital to ensuring that the sun does rise again. That's why I focused on Hirata as he did the same to me. A few seconds passed by until he resumed speaking.
"Alright. This should be a good place to speak. Now, let's get to the topic at hand. There are two things that I must let you all know about. First, is that I caught a glimpse of the person who attacked Horikita." Hirata spoke as he wasted no time cutting to the chase. And this sudden revelation shocked me to my very core. But I wasn't alone in this sentiment.
"Huh?! What do you mean you caught a look at that bastard?! Why the hell didn't you say so sooner?" Sudo yelled out as he grabbed Hirata's by the upper hem of his hospital gown and gripped it tightly as if it was the collar of his school uniform. Though I was unfazed by this since this was to be expected from him. Sudo has feelings for Suzune, it's only been obvious that he's been suffering because of it. Hirata understood this fact too since he was able to read the room with ease back in our class. That's why he remained calm and composed before continuing.
"Forgive me but it would have done no good for a plethora of reasons. Most importantly, I did not recognize Horikita's attacker. So, I highly doubt you would have, Sudo." Hirata replied but the red headed man clicked his tongue in annoyance. This made it clear that he wasn't satisfied by his class rep's response.
"Bullshit! If he's a student or a teacher, then they've got to be recognizable! Someone has had to have seen this fucker before!" Sudo snapped back but much to his surprise, Hirata nodded in agreement.
"My thoughts exactly. However, when I helped evacuate everyone into the auditorium, not one person matched the identity of the culprit. That I'm sure of. This includes all of the students and the faculty as well. And that's why I waited precisely for the opportunity to ask Midoriya about it. Because I believe you've seen him before." Hirata replied to Sudo before turning his attention to me with a serious look on his face. I responded accordingly with a nod and a look on my face that matched Hirata's considering the predicament that we have all found ourselves in.
"Then it's about time we test that theory. Have you seen…" Hirata spoke before grabbing out a sheet of paper and a pencil. And then in a span of a couple of seconds, Hirata used his Quirk to draw faster than the naked eye could perceive before finishing his sentence with 'This man?' By showing me the drawing in question. It was a rather detailed one to boot. It accurately showcased the appearance of the man named 'Kiyotaka.' I'll never forget that man's face for as long as I live. So, I recognized him immediately and nodded in response. But surprisingly I wasn't alone in this sentiment.
"Wait a sec… this guy… yeah! I've seen him before!" Sudo yelled out much to the surprise of everyone else. I couldn't believe what he just said. But before I could question him about it, Hirata beat me to the punch.
"W-What do you mean by that?! There's no way you could have recognized him!" Hirata snapped back out of sheer surprise. Hirata's right. There's no possible way that Sudo and Kiyotaka could have met. That man was clearly trying to keep his identity a secret. Why else would he use Toga's Transform Quirk to obscure his identity who knows how many times by now?! Or at least that's what I was sure of. But against all odds, Sudo claims to have recognized him?! Just how can that be? Though I was about to get the answer to that question.
"Dude! Believe me, I ain't bullshitting! I DEFINITELY saw this asshat before! But… where? And… um… damn it! What the heck was his name!?" Sudo yelled out as he tried to remember the name of the attacker. But this was weird. Sudo knows his name! It's Kiyotaka! Just what other name could he have?! Though this was making me noticeably concerned. Hiyori noticed that.
"A-Any chance you could be mistaken, Sudo-Kun?" Hiyori chimed in with a nervous smile on her face. But not even a second later-
"I GOT IT!" Sudo shouted at the top of his lungs as if he had just dug up a million dollars from out of the ground. Needless to say, that it startled all of us who were present to hear him.
"Well, spit it out man! Tell us!" Hirata snapped back as he almost had a heart attack over the suddenness of Sudo's shout. The red headed man then laughed to himself with a smug grin on his face before revealing the answer to this perplexing question.
"His name is… Shigaraki." Sudo declared as everything went quiet the moment he mentioned the name of that person. I wouldn't be surprised if Hirata or Hiyori weren't too caught off guard by this sudden revelation. But I couldn't have been more astonished by it all. After all, the name Shigaraki belongs to three people. First is All For One. Second is his brother. And finally, and most importantly, Tomura Shigaraki. Just hearing the name of that villain made me grit my teeth to the point that they could break. But that only lasted for a second. Tomura may have been a villain but more than that he was a person. Once upon a time, I wanted to save the person he used to be.
However, that day has long since passed. But that's the thing. All three of those people are dead. There's no way any of them could still be among the living. I made sure of that myself. Which means the only possible explanation is that it was simply an alias that the Doctor cooked up. That wouldn't be too surprising since he shares part of his last name with Tomura. And that was proven by what happened next.
"Are you sure about that, Sudo?" Hirata asked as Sudo nodded and replied with 'What do you mean?' With a confused look on his face.
"What I mean is that name sounds oddly familiar… but not quite right. Wasn't it something more like… Shigure… Garaki?" Hirata asked and upon remembering the name he said out loud a memory that had been buried deep within his mind emerged. But it didn't just happen to him. Because the exact same thing happened to Sudo. The two of them stood in silence for a moment while processing the startling information that they had come to procure. Both me and Hiyori could only wait for what was about to unfold. And then…
"Holy shit! That mother fucker who hurt Horikita is the same one who gave us our powers?!" Sudo blurted out while looking at Hirata. My eyes shot wide open upon hearing him as I couldn't believe what he just said. Not that it didn't make any sense. It made perfect sense, since Kiyotaka had the AFO Quirk, and he would be able to use it to give the both of them Quirks. That much was easy enough to understand. However, what I couldn't possibly fathom was how exactly they forgot that information until now. Though that was until-
'My angel of death! Kill Izuku Midoriya and save me! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!' It hit me like a speeding truck. It was exactly what happened with Hiyori! Garaki was able to brainwash her to the point that she forgot about me! Though it didn't last for too long as the effects noticeably dwindled as I reminded Shiina who she was. And the exact same thing happened here as they not only saw the face of Kiyotaka but remembered the alias when he gave them Quirks! Ergo, this is the work of a Quirk that's like Shinso's Brainwash Quirk! But before I could contemplate the thought any further, Hirata turned his attention to me.
"It's exactly as he said. Somehow, we both forgot about it till now. More specifically the person who gave us our Quirks. But there's no doubt about it. That person and the one who attacked Horikita are one and the same! And without further ado, it's about time I reveal the second and final piece of information I uncovered about this person. Because Shigure Garaki is not his name. That I'm one hundred percent sure of now. Because I know his true name. And that name is…" Hirata explained while me and Hiyori looked back at him with bated breath until-
"Sorry, but we already know that. It's Kiyotaka." Sudo replied but right when he finished Hirata replied with-
"Ayanokoji." Hirata spoke as Sudo tilted his head out of confusion and muttered 'Eh?' Before Hirata continued.
"Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. That's his name. But it wasn't as if I figured that out… that was all Horikita's doing." Hirata continued as my eyes went wide out of sheer surprise. But I wasn't alone as the same thing happened to Sudo and Hiyori. It was the natural reaction. After all, how could Horikita have figured out something like that? Unlike me she didn't have any clues that could have led her to that revelation. Heck even I wasn't sure of it myself which is why I didn't tell my friends about it.
However, this is different. Hirata says Horikita figured it out. She isn't the type of person to just say something when she knows full well that she may be wrong. Every time Suzune deduced something, it was always when she was sure of the answer, that's why every time she did, she was always right on the money. Her deductions have never been wrong throughout all the time I've known her. Which means that her deduction is a fact! But this leads to another question. Just how on earth did she figure it out? Kiyotaka isn't the type of person to just randomly blurt out his name.
'I'm… All For One.' That's right. He used aliases such as AFO and Shigure Garaki because he had no intention of his true identity being leaked. So, if he didn't tell Horikita about it nor did she have any clues to go off on then there's only one possible explanation. A Quirk Awakening. OFA had a Quirk Awakening which allowed me to use my predecessors, Quirks. I heard the same thing happened to Himiko Toga and Gentle Criminal. And I have firsthand experience with just how dangerous Tomura Shigaraki's Decay Quirk became when it awakened. The same thing must have happened to Suzune. But my friends had no clue about that, so I explained it to them.
"I understand. If that's the case, then theoretically it could be possible that she figured out Kiyotaka's last name. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Foresight had the ability to see the future, right? Then if it awakened the possibility of her witnessing his past is quite high and with that, she could have heard our culprit being called by his name." Hirata spoke as he deduced how Horikita must have learned Kiyotaka's last name. An astute deduction no less. Something that I was not completely sure of but feared was the case. And my worst fears pertaining to the subject at hand had come true. Because now our enemy wasn't just Kiyotaka, Ryuuen, Nagumo, or anyone else the former may have gotten to join his side. It was much worse. But even still…
"… Suzune is incredible." I blurted out with a smile on my face. I couldn't help myself. I was so genuinely impressed over how incredible Horikita is. I may have been able to awaken OFA when it was my Quirk. But that was only a freak accident. It wasn't as if I suddenly did anything special to unlock my predecessors' Quirks, it just randomly happened one night. But for Suzune to awaken her Quirk, it must have been because she was determined to figure out Kiyotaka's identity at all costs, just to give us a helping hand when we needed it most. I'm sure if she chooses the path to becoming one of this world's heroes, she would be one of the greatest…
… But is there a chance I could be too? I've made my fair share of mistakes, and I might not even deserve it anymore, but can I also become one of the greatest heroes too?
No. Now's not the time to think about that. More importantly, the enemy is all too clear now. In fact, he had been there since almost the very beginning, always standing in the limelight and making himself known to all, the Chairman. And since the Chairman had authority over all of AN, it was sufficient to say that the school itself was our enemy. The gravity of the situation could be felt by everyone in attendance. Ayanokoji had the power to expel each of us with the drop of a hat. But that's not all. Far from it.
"You've got to be fucking with me! So, if that shithead figures out were on to him then were expelled! And if we resist, we'll have the police on our asses! We'll be made criminals! Oh my god! We're so fucked if he knows!" Sudo yelled out as he was sweating bullets and even his knees were shaking. I don't think I've ever seen Sudo so petrified before. But just the realization of him being scared out of his mind made me look at Hiyori who looked all too similar to Sudo. It only makes sense; these people might have Quirks. But they couldn't be less prepared to be made enemies of the police. None of us could be for that…
… Which is why I must be prepared for that grim, dark future in order to lessen the weight on their shoulders. Because even if I'm not a hero to the world at large, I can still be to them! That way I can break that horrible future to pieces and be the man that I want to be once more! Which is why I must make that sentiment known.
"Everyone, the situation may seem dire. But together we'll get through it. I will help any way I can to ensure that. It might be hard for you to trust in my words when I haven't done a good job at proving how capable I am… but even still I want you to trust in me. I hope that's not too much to ask." I spoke with a reassuring smile on my face as they looked back at me with expressions of awe. And when I was finished speaking, Hiyori held my hands gently within her own while replying 'We trust you.' With an angelic look on her face. I couldn't help but be moved by the faith that my friends have in me. But before I could say anything about it-
"Of course we trust you. I mean who wouldn't after you showed that American jackass an ass kicking of a lifetime!" Sudo replied with a grin on his face while closing his eyes and having his arms behind his head. His way of describing The Deep though rather crude made me laugh quite a bit. All of us did.
"Sudo's right. But it's more than just physical prowess you showed us. Even when we abandoned you… when I hated you… you still showed me kindness. I wouldn't have blamed you if you took the Chairman's offer and switched classes… but you didn't. You believed in us when you had every right to curse us. So, it's time I returned the favor by believing in you. It's the least I can do for being so pathetic." Hirata spoke with a gentle look on his face while my heartstrings were being tugged again and again by my precious friends to the point that a few tears spilled from my eyes.
"Hahaha… what's ya cryin about? … Ow." Sudo asked with a wry grin on his face while chuckling to himself before immediately being punched in the arm by Hirata and poked by one of Hiyori's feathers faster than he could blink. But these weren't tears of sorrow. They were out of genuine happiness. But they didn't need to know that.
"Nothing at all." I replied with a smile after wiping away the tears from my eyes. That's right. I can't cry right now. Even if it's out of joy over my friends believing in me. I have to be strong. Much stronger than I am now so that each and every one of them can have a bright future. However, a confrontation with Chairman Ayanokoji is all too inevitable at this point. After all, he's the only lead that we have left who could possibly know his son's location. Things weren't going to stay like this for much longer…
… But even I couldn't predict just how soon that confrontation would be, because it was the very next day. I had gone back to school to resume classes so that I wouldn't be expelled for missing any more of them. I didn't want to give Ayanokoji an excuse to expel me after all. But the moment I entered the classroom, I was greeted by someone who had not been there before. The bell hadn't even rung, and yet there was a man standing right where Professor Chabashira always stood for our daily lectures. And upon hearing me enter the classroom, he swiftly turned around to greet me.
"What a pleasant surprise. You must be Izuku Midoriya. I've heard all too much about you. Oh… forgive me my mind isn't what it used to be. My name is Tokinari Tsukishiro. I'm the new professor of Class A ever since Chabashira had been relieved of her duties following what she did a few weeks back. Allowing a few students like yourself to ride her motorcycle if I remember correctly. It's unfortunate what happened. I mean how could someone be so braindead as to allow someone without a permit to ride one. Much less disobey rules stating that students must never do such a thing. What a braindead imbecile indeed." The man named Tsukishiro declared as if it were only natural for him to do so.
"What did you just say?" I asked while staring back at him and engraving the sight of him into my retinas. He was clearly middle aged. If I were to guess mid to late fifties, judging by his dark black hair that's noticeably greying. He wore what must be tailor made suit because it wasn't like what the other members of the faculty wore. But even when I made my anger all too clear he was smiling. It gave off the impression that this man was dangerous.
"My, my. That's some hostility you're giving me. You know that's kind of rich coming from someone who has missed a month and a half of class. That's enough to make sure that you have to repeat the entire year. So, how about you and I go talk to Chairman Ayanokoji about that among 'other things.' It shouldn't take long at all." Tsukishiro spoke while maintaining his smile. But I wasn't about to do what he says, especially when the peaceful everyday lives of my friends will be put into jeopardy. So, if I can do anything to avoid that, even if it means harming my future here…
… Then so be it.
"How about you make me." I replied with a serious look on my face. In the midst of that, Yamauchi, (Who happened to be in attendance) said 'Oh shit' under his breath with a bit of a laugh for good measure. The other students who happened to be there could only stare back at what was about to unfold. But even after my audible threat, Tsukishiro was still smiling. But it wasn't anything like how All Might smiled. It was an unnerving kind of smile that sent shivers down my spine. But before I could say another word-
"Those are some fighting words, you know that? But okay. Sure. We could have done this easy way. But have it your way… we'll do this the hard way." Tsukishiro replied as the moment he finished his smile vanished. I knew that couldn't be good, so I tried to get out of harm's way. But it all happened so fast and before I knew it, I found myself frozen in place. Not only that but everything seemed so huge. Just what the heck happened to me?! Wait a minute! This is-
"Hahaha… such a useful little thing." Tsukishiro remarked after laughing to himself while staring me down. I was completely unprepared for this sudden turn of events. Much less the revelation that this man had 'that Quirk.' But there was nothing that I could do as I was quite literally in the palm of his hands.
Tokinari Tsukishiro…
… Quirk: Compress.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: The Self-Proclaimed Hero and the Greatest of Heroes
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!