Angel: Thank you to MissLiss for congratulating me on writing 200 chapters, I figured not to mention it because I didn't want to make it a big deal. Once again, I wish that the Deku vs Class 1-A episode was the 200th chapter, but it didn't happen unfortunately! And I still have more to upload, at least I've finished writing season 7 before the last season came up...by the way, an official trailer came out for it, I don't know if anyone's seen it, but I'm hyped to see what happens in the anime.
Could I do an anime that doesn't have a lot of filler episodes? This...is where I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with this person. I don't hate filler, and this is the anime I've written out of like three if you count Sonic X that has the most filler. And the filler in this anime I don't even think is too egregious. If I thought it was, I wouldn't have uploaded 200 chapters. For me, filler episodes are good breaks away from the main story if it was too overwhelming or I needed a break from watching it progress. Dr. Stone barely has any filler if we really need to be bringing this up.
If you don't like anime with filler, then avoid anime with filler. I don't know why my story choices have to be associated with that opinion. And even so, I said that I would THINK about writing Bleach. I did not say that I'm WRITING Bleach. I'm not even close to finishing watching it! Thinking about writing it and actually doing it aren't the same thing. So even with that in mind, I choose what to write at the end of the day. If you don't like filler, then don't ask me to avoid it, just engage in something that has no filler, please and thank you.
After hearing All Might's request for aid, America's number-one hero, Star and Stripe, made an urgent visit to Japan. As soon as she arrived, Tomura Shigaraki launched a violent attack.
My guess is...he and All for One considered her a huge obstacle or opportunity once they somehow heard of her arrival. She did have a lot of power after all...
Star's Quirk, New Order, allowed her to change the rules of the world around her. It looked like she had the advantage in their fight, until Shigaraki managed to touch the hero, killing her.
And even though she did lose her life in the process...there was something that not even Shigaraki could have predicted. A move that did end up changing things in our favor.
Star didn't go down without a fight. With the last embers of her life, she used New Order to deal a serious blow to Shigaraki, destroying a number of his Quirks.
Of course, he unfortunately still escaped alive after managing to take all of those attacks at once to his body. All we can do now is to be grateful for her actions...
"Thanks to Star and Stripe, he won't be on his feet for at least a week," Toshinori told the group of students in Heights Alliance. "This is her parting gift to us. A strategic delay. But in order for you to protect yourselves, and those you want to protect throughout the world, you need to use this extension to become as strong as you possibly can."
Out in the forest, butterflies were flapping near some branches. And in the cave nearby, All for One was grinning widely. Shigaraki was groaning in pain, still recovering from what Star and Stripe did by destroying some of his Quirks. Himiko and Spinner stared down at him in concern as he was screaming and writhing on the floor.
"Come now, Other Me," All for One spoke up, as he didn't seem to be all that worried. "There's no need to fret. We'll endure," He looked over to the Nomu next to him. "Your Quirk Factors are simply fatigued," He lifted up his ventilator and walked over. "Out of sorts. In time, you'll be able to use your many powers again." Some cracks formed over Shigaraki's back as the Symbol of Evil stood behind him. He bent down, placing a hand on Shigaraki's shoulder.
"I'll kill you, damn it," He growled out to his master, shaking on the floor. "You will suffer. All of you!" He gritted his teeth with bloodlust. "As long as there's a single person on this Earth who remembers All Might's face, this hate within me won't go away!"
Our consciousnesses are combining All for One thought as his smile faltered hearing his protege's words. He then gave a small smirk. I can feel it. His frenzied anger. It's as though Tomura's pain and resentment are my own. He watched as another crack appeared, and they wouldn't stop growing either. "What a gift," He murmured while trying to calm Shigaraki down. "What great progress. We may not have taken New Order, but the horizon has been cleared of one of our greatest obstacles. Rest easy. You mustn't dwell on one failed plot when there are so many in play," He got onto his feet, looking over in another direction. "Apologies. I asked you to prepare for action, but we must wait longer." He was talking to Dabi himself.
"You gotta be kidding me," He muttered in disappointment of prolonging the inevitable takedown of his family. "I'm stuck here while my old man flies free? I can't take it anymore."
"You know, Toya, you and I are quite similar except for one thing," All for One pointed out to him, earning confusion in return. "Take this to heart. A wise man such as myself will pave many different roads to a single goal. That's how I ensure success against any odds. To be more precise, I craft alternative routes years, sometimes decades in advance. I begin by following the path that best suits my needs and timeline. And if it's blocked, I simply switch to another. Understand?" To him, when another opportunity closed, another one opened up. Which was why he wasn't too hung up on not getting the Quirk of someone who was dead. "I've mapped infinite routes. My completed body will take more time than expected, and Izuku Midoriya has unfortunately returned to UA's fortress." Because of Search...he knew exactly where the boy was. "And his sister we're not any closer to reaching either. But that's fine. Because unlike you, Toya, I have many friends."
Toru was clutching her hands, her silhouette showing from behind a tree...
Birds flew past Heights Alliance as outside, most of Class 1-A was training. "Fly, my birds!" Koji shouted, releasing a huge flock of pigeons.
"You're too slow!" Hanta mocked while in the air, moving his tape forward. Fumikage was flying around using Dark Shadow.
"Black Abyss!" He shouted, jumping on the tape to avoid getting captured.
"Go harder!" Eijiro screamed while unlocking his Unbreakable form. Rikido chomped on some sugar and grunted as he flew forward.
"Octoblow!" Mezo held out his multiple limbs as fists.
"Twirling Tail Dance!" Mashirao spun around his body and tail, him, Mezo, and Rikido all attacking Eijiro from different directions. They all attacked as hard as they could against him.
Momo placed down something from her lipids. "Ready, Chargebolt?" She stood up, surrounded by multiple speakers.
"This one's gonna sting!" He grinned while holding onto multiple wires. He unleashed a bunch of electricity into the speakers, Momo having to brace herself.
Minoru plucked off some of his balls, throwing them as quickly and hard as he could. "Balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, balls!"
They were struck with acid to melt on impact. Then a Heartbeat Surround knocked them away. "Let's take it from the top!" Mina smirked, Kyoka standing next to her with her earphone jacks ready.
"Quick, Froppy!" Ochaco called out while in the air, floating herself and multiple rocks around her.
"Uravity!" Tsuyu flung her tongue towards her.
"Meteor..." Ochaco started off, pressing her fingers together.
"Fafrotskies!" The frog-like girl finished while throwing down the rocks towards Tenya. He ran around to avoid them.
"Blackwhip!" Izuku shouted as he spun around in the air, extending them out from his glove.
Katsuki spun around, using Explosions to defend himself. "Come on!" He shouted, using the attack to knock Izuku onto the ground. He jumped up, and Izuka suddenly came in out of nowhere while surrounded by her lunar energy. But unlike last time, she looked to be in much more control.
"Mars Kick!" She spun around her legs as red sand came from her feet, letting Izuku in a smokescreen of the stuff. He coughed as Katsuki was heading for him.
I got him! Before Izuku could even counterattack, a bunch of sweat surrounded his body. He looked up with a gasp, Izuka coming up and...he realized that the red sand was still flying around him too. Katsuki held out his hand while a purple flaming comet appeared in Izuka's right hand. She recoiled it back just as he fired.
"You're dead!" Katsuki yelled while flying backwards.
"Lunar Comet Burst!" She shouted as she tossed it, the flame quickly engulfing the red sand particles like little firecrackers. Izuku was engulfed in a fiery, sandy explosion.
Katsuki stood up, sweat coming from his face. "I stored up my power and then fired," He smirked while looking at his hand. "Endeavor taught me that. And I'm not talkin' a single detonation. My improved Cluster attack comes from me flinging around beads of sweat, then exploding them together. Kitten's new move, Mars Kick, allows her to use the red dust you usually see on Mars as a distraction. And with her improved body, she can use it however she wants. She's finally gotten the hang of lunar energy too, allowing her to be faster and stronger. Those upgrades are just the beginning. We're leveling up all our moves, which means I've gotta start sweating a lot more."
"Oh," Izuku looked up in realization, his hair a mess and covered by red sand. Izuka walked over to them while adjusting her gloves. She was still getting used to throwing Lunar Comet Burst. "That's why you're wearing your winter suit! I thought it was just to match with Izuka."
"Tch, not just that," Katsuki blushed with a scoff, looking at his hand. Izuka was blushing as well, a fist to her mouth as she looked away from him. "Overheating eats up my stamina, though. It's one or the other. And I've been teaching Kitten some things we can pull off together. But in order to do that, she's got 2 more moves to learn." Hopefully, the villains wouldn't learn of those moves to use against her like they did before. As far as he could tell, All for One wasn't using Search on Izuka like her brother, and he would rather keep it that way.
"Uh! For Venus and Neptune, right? Well, if anyone is gonna help you the best, it's Kacchan!" Izuku replied optimistically, the girl giving an awkward cough.
"Yeah, it hasn't been easy, but I'm getting there," Izuka looked at her hand.
"With my training, she could even throw the whole moon," Katsuki bragged, causing her to flinch. Just the thought of it was already too dangerous.
"Absolutely not," She muttered while looking away, determined to never even attempt it. She'd be affecting the entire galaxy if she tried using the moon for anything. Even if nothing happened, she'd rather leave the actual moon intact the way it currently was... I'd rather not be responsible for doing any damage to the moon, even if I could pull it off. That'd result in the Earth tilting entirely because of the moon's gravity keeping it in place. And I don't want everyone experiencing the ramifications of that. All I need to know is that I can make moon bows without having to touch the thing and that's good enough for me...
"Yeah, I think it's safer for everyone else if she doesn't do that…" Izuku gave a sheepish laugh, looking towards the others training. "Everyone is improving. There's definitely something different about Todoroki." He looked towards Shoto using both sides of his Quirk on his arms and feet, like he was harnessing both at the same time.
"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this," He explained as he maintained his form. I can almost regulate my left side as well as control my right. This body will withstand Dabi's flames. He then coughed, stopping himself as Izuka looked at him in a bit of concern. He let out a breath to calm himself down. "My fire and ice, working in harmony."
"It's still amazing, though," Izuka smiled at him a little.
"Mm," Katsuki stared at the two without any expression. Usually, he'd get jealous over her praising other guys. But since they were dating now, he wasn't as worried. After all, she only tended to draw him all the time, not anyone else. Which did help in him not being as jealous as he used to be.
Denki took a sip of his water. Minoru continued to remove his balls while sitting on the bench. "I know All Might said this'd be a total war or whatever, but..." He started off in thought.
"Huh?" Minoru looked up at his friend in confusion.
"The way I see it, the two big bads are, like, super vulnerable now. Especially since Gigantomachia's taking a long prison nap." Gigantomachia was currently in a secure prison facility far away from the city, so he wouldn't be causing trouble for them. "I bet we can take All for One and the League down easy when we find them."
"You forgot three things, idiot," Katsuki stepped up while his arm was around Izuka's shoulder.
"What? Wait, three? Really?" Denki asked him in alarm.
"First," Katsuki held up a finger. "We probably won't be able to find them. Think about it. We located the Nomu hangar, Shigaraki's hideout, and the research lab, sure. But since All Might and Kitten defeated All for One, we haven't been able to track down the boss-man himself. He's the best there is at going underground," His eyes narrowed, wishing that All for One wasn't so good at hiding... "Damn nut-sack face!"
Izuka sighed knowingly as she closed her eyes, since he was undoubtedly pissed that All for One was still around partly because of him. He had been carrying onto that for a long time now regardless of what people told him...even when he knew that she at least didn't blame him for it, she could tell that it was something he could never forget.
"You think after breaking out of Tartarus, that he'd make it that easy for us to find and defeat him?" She pointed out to Denki. "No, because even though they can appear whenever the hell they want, they use those previous failures to improve on their hiding skills. All for One especially since he won't let anything stop him from doing what he wants."
"Cursed mental image..." Kyoka murmured towards both her and Katsuki.
"Our second problem," Momo held up two fingers. "We faced an incomplete Shigaraki last time, so his true power is an unknown quantity. And don't forget, we've lost half our numbers since then. At this point, we may be no match for him."
"Exactly," Katsuki fully agreed with her. "Third thing. They're the ones who get to decide when and where we face each other, like Kitten was alluding to. All for One stole Ragdoll's Search ability, so he can spot Quirks from basically anywhere. With any luck, New Order ate that power up, but we're still at a disadvantage. Now do you get why we're tapping every possible hero and resources?"
Izuku walked up to join them, while Denki let out a defeated whine. He felt pretty stupid now for saying what he did... "This is why our next move is vital," Izuku narrowed his eyes, frowning deeply. "I have to force Shigaraki out into the open, and fast. To do that, I need to hurry-"
A hand fell on top of his singed and sandy hair, belonging to Tenya. "You do mean we, don't you?" He corrected his friend, who gasped, looking up with teary eyes.
"Izuku Midoriya, I dare you to say that to our faces again, cause if you do, I will haunt you for the rest of your life when I'm dead. But you gotta make sure that I am actually dead," Izuka closed her eyes, crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Seriously, Midoriya!" Eijiro called out as he saw him, Mashirao, Mezo, and Rikido smiling at him. The others were the same way, aside from Katsuki and Izuka. Although once again, oddly enough, they were still missing Yuga and Toru...
"Of course," Izuku smiled gratefully that they would all stand by his side. Even Izuka herself... He then adjusted his hair. "By the way, I wanted to get your opinion. Is it cool for me to walk around?" The last time he had seen any evacuees was ever since he returned, because he was focusing on his training. So he hadn't seen any of them for a while now.
"That should be fine now," Tenya smiled at him in reassurance. "With Uraraka and Mido's speeches fresh on everyone's minds, the hero course students and evacuees are getting along fairly well."
Ochaco blushed in embarrassment from the look Tsuyu was giving her. Izuka rubbed the back of her neck, as she did do it for Izuku. At the same time, interacting with him like she used to do...she just couldn't.
"It just isn't fair," Denki confessed with a sad expression, looking at his water bottle. "Seems like every time we think we've got All for One on the ropes...he gets the last laugh."
"We can't let that get to us, Kaminari," Izuka spoke up, getting their attention. "I'm sure we'll come up with something. For now, we just have to keep training hard together, and not running off to do things alone," She gave her brother a pointed look and he flinched, giving an awkward laugh. Katsuki glanced between the twins, hands in his pockets.
"Oi, kitten," Katsuki turned towards Izuka, hands on his hips. She looked up at him curiously.
"Yes?" He simply picked her up bridal style into his arms, leaning forward to kiss her. "Mm!" She pulled away afterwards, blushing deeply in embarrassment from some of the teasing looks she was getting from everyone else. "Wh...K-Katsu...w-wh..." Izuka couldn't even form words for a few seconds as he put her down. "What was-"
"I wanted a quick kiss," He stated as he put his hands in his pockets as if he didn't just kiss her.
"B-bu-but...that wasn't...!" She faltered in protest, putting a hand in front of her mouth as her dusty blush was still on her face.
Izuku blinked rapidly before giggling towards the two, smiling.
"You should be expecting more of that anytime, idi—I mean, kitten," Katsuki remarked as he then walked off.
"Can we talk about this?!" She yelped while running after him.
"No! But you can talk to Izuku." She flinched and looked away, biting her lip. "I'm not saying what he did wasn't fucked up. It was, don't believe for a second that I side with him for ghosting you. But if he didn't do it, would you really be standing here right now? He's your brother, Izuka. You have to stand by his side."
"I get what you're saying…but I need some more time. Thanks for drilling it into my head," She murmured a bit bashfully, the kiss still on her mind. The thing that was holding her back was that Izuku did leave without telling her. She would've been a little bit more okay if he had still wanted to take off and protect UA, because she wouldn't been able to stop him for one. And two, she had seen what he had done to ensure his own safety. He would've still pushed his body, but she could've helped him through that. And he just...didn't let her in on anything to take care of things on his own.
"If I don't, who's gonna do it for the rest of your life?" He teased while poking her forehead. She pouted and gently moved his hand away.
"You're such a jerk..." Izuka slowly shook her head.
"The jerk that you chose to fall in love with," Katsuki reminded her without any shame.
You've been mopey ever since Gunga and Jaku. I mean, we've all felt bad, but...you took things extra hard Toru thought while still hiding behind a tree. She looked up ahead towards three shadows that she was listening in on...
"You have no choice, son," A woman spoke up in an urgent, terrified voice. And...she had a notable French accent. "He's given us explicit new instructions. The messages were in code. Even if they were intercepted, no one will realize they were anything...bad. And out there, the surveillance cameras won't pick us up. Don't be scared," She was trying to reassure someone.
I got worried because you stopped smiling. You even looked sad when Midoriya came back to us, and when he and Mido started fighting Toru clenched her fists as she felt like her heart was breaking to hear this...
"All for One's out of prison now, so things will go exactly as he wants them to," The woman insisted, Toru flinching from the name. "You know if you don't follow orders, he'll murder the three of us!" She was saying this...while holding the shoulders of her crying son, Yuga Aoyama. "Please, Yuga!"
He continued to cry, unable to stop with snot in his nose. "You've done everything he's asked. Told him all the information he wanted about UA and the Midoriya girl's power. Like when you told him about the training camp. No one knows those two leaks came from you!" As Mrs. Aoyama continued to speak, Toru looked at her hands, as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Never did she think that there even was a leak as to how the villains knew exactly where they were. And she was unconscious most of the time, she didn't stop to question too much how or why. Especially since it resulted in All Might's retirement and Mido getting hurt. But...the fact that Yuga had a part in letting the villains know about every single aspect of her Quirk...and letting them know where his class was...
The villains somehow knew we'd be at the USJ. It was the same when they ambushed us in the woods, even though that was supposed to be a top-secret location. Don't tell me...
"And even though it was unlike us, you had to spread those rumors about the Midoriya girl to throw the others off track. Both before the Sports Festival and the School Festival...and the conversations we had on whether or not she was a Nomu over the phone..." Mrs. Aoyama said in a panic, causing Toru to freeze.
Wait...so the rumors about how she didn't belong in UA...about how she was a villain...that was him too? The first time...she was really upset about it...the second, she wasn't scared at all. But even still...
"We don't want to cause harm. But at this point, we're in too deep to stop," Mrs. Aoyama frowned deeply; it wasn't like they wanted the students to get hurt by the villains. But...they had to do what was needed for survival. "My love, there's no other option. You have no choice!"
"Maman..." Yuga whispered as he continued to cry. "Papa...I don't...want to do this."
It can't be true... Toru's head felt like it was spinning listening to everything... This whole time, behind our backs, Aoyama was...
"We've only ever wanted what's best for you, son," Mrs. Aoyama pleaded, as she didn't want her son to die if he didn't do what was asked. "For you to be free to live a happy life."
"Hmm? You want to be like everyone else?" She asked her little boy, who was crying as he looked up.
"Oui. Maman, it's so scary to be different. I don't like it!" He confessed teary-eyed to his mother.
"When we found out you were Quirkless, we didn't want you to feel excluded or less than," Mrs. Aoyama reminded him; the amount of bullying and scorn he would've gotten...she couldn't bare to see him go through that. "You deserved the chance to follow your dreams! We were trying to make things better for you."
He moved down his head, unable to speak.
"If we'd known what was in store for us, we wouldn't have sought that devil out," Mr. Aoyama explained to his son. "I swear it. We never would have let All for One give you a Quirk."
"But..." Mrs. Aoyama released her son's shoulders, knowing that...they had to live with their choices, regardless of what it would've accomplished. "It's too late. We're All for One's pawns now. We either do what he asks of us, or we are dead!"
Yuga cried in fear of their situation, not wanting to lose his parents...but he didn't want to continue doing this either...
I've gotta find a teacher. Or anyone! Toru looked around rapidly...although she seemed to be the only one there.
"It's been...so hard," Yuga finally spoke out through his tears. "I tried my best to hide the truth, because...if anyone found out what I've done, the guilt would crush me," He wiped his eyes while his parents stared at him sadly. "I forced myself to put on a brave face. Then, when All for One was caught at Kamino...for a moment, I thought...maybe, I would finally be free. I could be like everyone else..."
"My sweet boy," Mrs. Aoyama clutched her hands tightly. "Please, forgive us. You've suffered because of our mistakes."
Yuga fell to his knees, still crying into his hands. "I wanna make sure both of you are safe! I can't let him kill you!" He cried out in terror, very conflicted. All this time...he had been carrying this burden and guilt, doing things that disgusted him. So for a while...he thought he could escape after Kamino. That he could finally truly be like everyone else like he wanted. But...it seemed like he never could now with All for One being out of prison. Back then, it was easier to hide it, and now...he wasn't sure if he could continue doing this.
"Yuga," Mrs. Aoyama frowned at him pleadingly. "In that case, you know what you have to do, darling. Help your parents!"
"But...what I did to Mido just now-"
Something rustled from the grass, causing both parents to look back with a sharp gasp. Izuku was in the distance along with Toru...staring at them. Yuga looked up, gasping as he dropped his hands. He knew by the look on Izuku's face...that he had heard of what was going on. His eyes were shaken, devastated just like Toru...
"I, uh, ran into Hagakure," His voice sounded more broken speaking to them. "She said that...the traitor is..."
"What are you talking about?! How absurd!" Mrs. Aoyama immediately tried to deny it. "The girl must've misheard us."
"Of course it's you..." Yuga made no effort to hide, his eyes shaking. "Midoriya, I..."
Back then...I was the only one who couldn't say anything. Everyone else in our class called out to you, tried to get you to come back to UA. I watched as they desperately reached out to you, including your sister, despite everything that happened between you two...but...I stayed silent.
When the others were watching Izuku after defeating him...all he could do was stand back and watch. Because he felt like he didn't deserve to say anything. Not with everything that he had done...
"Aoyama..." Izuku murmured, as...he wanted answers. He wanted to understand why Yuga would do all of this. "Let's talk."
"Stop it!" Yuga shouted, preventing Izuku from stepping any further.
"His power is a Quirk...that was given to him by All Might? And it's connected to his sister's?" Yuga read the letter left for him in his room. "And All for One wants it?"
His hands were shaking as...he felt like Izuku was in the same situation as him. That he felt like the twins could relate, since he knew the truth about both of their Quirks. And...why Izuka hid having a Quirk for as long as she did.
Since day one...
"You're all amazing! I just want to be seen as your equal!" Yuga confessed while helping out Tenya during the provisional license exam.
You were...
"LISTEN!" Izuku shouted to get his attention. Yuga let out a sharp gasp from his tone. "It's no accident that I'm here. I could tell you were upset. You were the only one who looked sad...so I came looking for you."
Yuga looked up in shock for his confession that...Izuku noticed. Yes. Me. Alone... That day when they were trying to get through to Izuku...he felt like he could only stare, while he was the one who couldn't face them...
"The USJ and the training camp?" Yuga started off as...he felt like he could trust in the two.
"Yuga, don't!" Mrs. Aoyama shouted for him to stop.
"I led them to us both times," He confessed teary-eyed, sniffling. "And...with all the rumors, photos, and hate towards Mido...I was the one who started it all. I kept my name anonymous and All for One gave me untraceable accounts so that no one would know. I also kept him informed of all of her abilities with Galaxy, so that he would face no surprises and use that against her. Midoriya. It's all true. I am a revolting villain..." He felt like...he was done running, and that he had to face what he truly was. Acknowledging all that he had done...he certainly felt like no hero. He arguably...wasn't that from the start. "And...I've done something shameful towards your sister before I arrived."
Izuku's eyes shook in horror as he felt like he didn't want to know where this was going...
Izuka opened up the door to her studio in the woods, and her mouth dropped in horror at the sight awaiting her. Every single one of her art pieces inside...was destroyed, everything having scorch marks and beyond fixing. Even the vases were broken into pieces that she couldn't repair on her own. Her eyes shook as she picked up one of the pieces and ran outside. She managed to reach the back of Heights Alliance in record time...only to see the mural destroyed with spray paint all over it with the message... 'You will never be enough' over it.
She covered her mouth, tears prickling her eyes. Her knees hit the ground, unable to stop moving. It had never gotten this bad before...the rumors and photos were one thing...but now they were destroying her art?
No...who did this? She blinked through her tears as she saw a little twinkle left behind on the ground...from Yuga's cape. No...no, he wouldn't...
Shigaraki was still in pain back at the cave. "Because unlike you, Toya, I have many friends," All for One explained as Dabi was the only other person remaining now.
"A bunch of friends, huh? Great," Dabi didn't look so impressed. "If these randos you trust get caught, we're screwed again."
"Broaden your mind," All for One suggested to the fire-wielding villain. "When a cheap lighter stops working, it doesn't affect you. You just throw it away. If my friends succeed, I'm happy. If they fail, I sigh and say ah, well. Then I forget them, and adjust my course and carry along with my day. They're nothing more than disposable tools. If they let me have a bit of fun, hurray. But none of them are essential..." This did include the Aoyamas as well...
"Yuga!" Mrs. Aoyama hugged her son tight.
"Run!" His father hugged him as well, attempting to escape.
"Wait!" Izuku called out to them, gritting his teeth as he ran after them. The three family members were running with tears in their eyes, knowing that if All for One knew that someone found them...they'd be killed.
Maman and Papa were so dismayed when they discovered I was born without a Quirk. They both came from wealth. As children, they wanted for nothing. Knew only love and happiness. It's possible they were more worried about me being different than I was, at least at first.
When they got married and then later had him...he knew that they were happy then. It was heartbreaking knowing that all of that changed years later...to be reduced to only a villain's pawns to be used as he saw fit...
So...when my future looked uncertain...they did something desperate.
Both of their eyes were shaking...as the doctor told them that Yuga was Quirkless.
They were rumors of a man who could give people Quirks. Eventually, they found him.
And that man...was All for One. He reached out his glowing hand to give Yuga his Quirk once the boy was brought to him...
The Quirk I received wasn't a good fit for my body, though.
He could remember having stomach pains all the time, to the point where sometimes it was hard for him to stand up. It hurt. And then...for his birthday, they got him the belt he still carried with him now. My parents tried their best. They went through so much to give me a better life... He remembered their smiles at how happy he was he had a support item to control his Quirk. All because I was afraid of being different. My dream started as a desire to conform. But now...I want to do what Maman and Papa did for me.
"I've heard that All Might is going to be a teacher at UA. See that the boy enrolls there," All for One instructed the Aoyamas. "And...I've heard about a girl with a powerful Quirk, and that he was there to intervene. Have the boy enrolled in her class and get all the intel he can about her abilities...I want to see how they will grow in the future. And when the time is right...I want you to plant doubt into her, so that I can crush her morale. If All Might does know her, all the better. I'll be giving you instructions on what to do soon..."
To help others...
Yuga was shaking while hiding behind a giant rock in the USJ. "I want to know when your class will be unsupervised."
To bring joy to people's lives!
"Tell me more about this training camp."
Once again, Yuga was hiding behind a bush as Twice and Dabi walked past him.
And give back to the world!
"If Izuku Midoriya returns to UA...get him alone and lure him out into the open," All for One once more instructed the boy. "That way, we'll draw out his sister."
He didn't want to do that, though...not when Izuku and him became friends. Not when he saw how hurt Izuka was, and how all this time...she doubted her strength as a hero. Not when it meant that two of his classmates would be getting hurt...
When I read your letter and found out that you were born Quirkless, while Mido hid her own, that we were essentially the same, I...
Yuga released his hands from his parents, Izuku gasping sharply as Danger Sense went off. Yuga looked back while holding his head, preparing to fire. "I couldn't stand it!" He shouted out to his classmate still following them.
"Aoyama!" Izuku cried out to him, hoping that he really wouldn't resort to this.
"I was filled with despair/Please don't do this!" Both boys shouted out at the same time.
Yuga squeezed his eyes shut as he didn't want to watch what he would do...
One for All...
"LASER!" Yuga screamed as he fired towards Izuku. He braced himself, as it was moving too fast for him to do anything. However...Toru jumped in front of him, getting hit with the light herself. It reflected off of her, to the shock of her classmates. She landed safely, not being hurt since she gave off light as one of her ultimate moves.
"My body refracts light," She revealed, a bit of smoke coming from her. Her silhouette was also dropping. "Aoyama, we all could've died. You verbally attacked an innocent person," She clenched her fists angrily. Yuga could only stare up ahead in disbelief. "And you made her doubt herself! The entire country's falling apart around us. And you sat in class like you weren't involved?!" Part of her hair was starting to show, smoke flying from her invisible body. She had tears in her eyes...as part of her reflection was wearing off to show her face for the first time. "How could you sleep at night in the same dorm as us?!" He let out an anguished cry at the guilt building up within him. "How could you look any of us in the eye? Well? Explain yourself, Aoyama!"
All he could do was continue to scream and cry.
"You don't get it!" Mr. Aoyama defended, both him and his wife still crying too.
"He's not bad!" Mrs. Aoyama cried out, hoping that the two wouldn't hurt their son or judge him any further.
Blackwhip captured all three of them as Izuku landed. "Aoyama. Hagakure's freed you. Do you see that?" He had pinned down his classmate...well, both classmate and now traitor. "You don't have to hurt anybody else. It's over. So...stand down..." His voice broke again on...having to do this on someone he thought was a friend. Someone who hurt his sister multiple times just to stay alive. And yet...he didn't think of him in the same way as Shigaraki or All for One, and he never could. Not when it was clear that Yuga, and his family for that matter, were all suffering alone. "Stop fighting. Please..." He begged as Yuga shed fresh tears while looking up at him. Izuku was crying himself... "We'll work this out..."
And so...back at UA, in one of the many empty classrooms...they all had a meeting. "Let's get this straight," Naomasa spoke up as he, Ectoplasm, Toshinori, Present Mic, Principal Nezu, and all of Class 1-A stood before the Aoyama family. All three of them were restrained, and Officer Sansa was keeping watch. "He must have received the Quirk from All for One about 10 years ago. Since that point, he and his family have been forced to act as pawns against their will." Toshinori was hearing up, his lip quivering. He already knew there was a traitor a while ago...but to have it be a student of his... "Physically, he seems fine. At least, he wasn't rigged to self-destruct in the same way Nagant was."
"At this point, we can't deny it anymore, can we? There's a traitor at this school," Present Mic stated sadly, as he didn't want to bring this up.
He clamped his mouth shut, unsure of what to do now... "I never thought it would be a student..."
Principal Nezu glanced back in despair towards the rest of Class 1-A. Devasted...was an understatement of how they felt right about now. Izuku himself couldn't even look up. "I'm sorry, but I must ask you kids to give us the room."
"Like we'd walk away from this," Shoto furiously denied to him.
"It doesn't make any sense..." Denki murmured in a heartbroken way.
Mashirao had his hand on Toru's shoulder, looking up wide-eyed. Koji next to them looked pretty upset. "If Hagakure hadn't stumbled on you today...what would you have done for him next?"
"I don't believe it..." Momo whispered, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah, man!" Eijiro yelled towards their...classmate. Just thinking that it was one of them...it was still a shock. "Say it isn't true!"
"Did he brainwash you or something?" Minoru implored to him. Kyoka was hugging a crying Mina. "You must not've known what you were doing!"
Katsuki was hugging a crying and shaking Izuka, as the revelation of both knowing Yuga was the traitor and...what he did was too much. "Two hero course students, both Quirkless. Who'd have thought?" He murmured at the situation that they were in. Izuku used being Quirkless to build himself up towards being a hero...while Yuga became a villain, even if he hid it for so long.
"We're still trying to restore a state of order, so it's imperative that you start talking," Naomasa ordered the Aoyama family. "Tell us what you've learned about All for One, and what his fixation was with Izuka Midoriya. Don't leave a single detail out."
Izuka glanced up at the three, still shaking and crying. Katsuki gently rubbed her back in an attempt to keep her a little calm at least...
"We don't know anything useful, or what you don't know already of his intentions with the Midoriya girl. That's the truth, I swear. We did whatever we were told," Mr. Aoyama spoke up in terror just talking about it. "If we didn't, he would kill us. If we lied to him, he would kill us. If we didn't have any effect on the girl, he would kill us. Our choice was life or death."
"He threatened you?" Naomasa murmured, glancing at Izuka. She gripped her fist tight into Katsuki's suit. Hearing that All for One would kill him if they didn't get to her through the rumors...it was disgusting to hear.
"It wasn't just a threat. He showed us what happened to those who didn't follow his wishes," Mr. Aoyama continued to explain while crying. "Anybody who ran to the police was murdered soon after betraying him." All for One had showed that...by killing someone in front of them with his own bare hands. "There wasn't a way out. No matter where you go, he will find you. You will die. It is an inevitable fact. Our son never knew the particulars of what he planned to do. All for One only told him to lay low and avoid suspicion."
Yuga sat there in silence...knowing that his father was lying for him so that he wouldn't face punishment.
"We're to blame, not Yuga."
However...the boy wasn't really listening to all of this. Because a question asked of him before was starting to get to him... "How could you sleep at night in the same dorm as us?!"
"My classmates," Yuga spoke up, catching Tenya off guard. "All of you could have died because of me. Mido in more ways than one. And...I broke her spirit just as much. And yet...I smiled and laughed like we were friends. Because I wanted us to be. When I found out Midoriya used to be Quirkless like me, and that Mido hid her own because of him...and that he knew he'd have to stand against All for One...my heart ached at how miserable my life was. I was disgusted with myself...but wallowed in my own misery instead of worrying about him. I'm rotten to the core," He stared at all of them with tears in his eyes. "And...for a while, Mido was a target too. He made me...send out messages about how...she didn't have any real power."
Izuka let a breath escape her remembering hearing about the rumors and how it affected her. "...You were the one who sent out the rumors about me back before the Sports Festival...where I felt like I had to prove myself about stuff you said that I believed for a while...and even now, part of me still does..." Her voice broke, remembering what she said to Endeavor during work-studies.
"He was interested in you for a long time...he asked me to keep an eye on you. And tell me of anything to do with your Quirk," He bowed his head a little.
She clamped her mouth shut as she stared at him, as she didn't want to believe it. But the only way they could've known all of her abilities...was only if someone she knew told them. "Which wouldn't have been hard to do since we were in the same class. And that's why at the USJ, they already knew how my Quirk worked...because you told them. And why ever since then, they never left me alone..."
"...Yes," Yuga confessed after a few seconds, causing Katsuki to grit his teeth.
"A-And that burner phone in the trash the police said...that was you then. And this too?" She held up a charred piece of one of her paintings. Everyone gasped towards it, Yuga's eyes widening slowly. "I found it earlier in what's left of my studio," She then tossed it to the ground for him to look at. "You knew how much it meant to me...and you still went along with letting them put me through everything..."
"...Yes," He cried out, as...it broke him having to destroy all of Izuka's hard work. What she had passion for as much as being a hero... "There's no denying it." Izuku's fist couldn't stop shaking and clenching while he listened... "If you want to know the truth, it's that I am a villain through and through."
"I don't believe you!" Izuku screamed out suddenly. Izuka looked at him wide-eyed, still hugging Katsuki. "Why did you try to save Kacchan, Izuka, and Tokoyami at the training camp, huh?!" Yuga flinched as he looked up, all three staring at him...as Izuku did make a good point. Someone as a 'villain'...would've never done something like that. "What about the message for me and Izuka? Or leaving the burner phone?! Is that something All for One told you to do too?"
"If we can't overcome the things that bring us pain, then you won't be able to twinkle, mon ami!"
Izuku stared at Yuga in shock.
"Of course not! That night...was a desperate cry for help. And it totally went over my head," Izuku couldn't help but wonder...what would've happened if he had asked that day? If Yuga ever needed his help with the things that brought him pain... "I mean...look at you." Yuga's tears streamed down his face from what the boy was saying to him. "You're bawling right now, crying all over yourself. But it's obviously not because you failed to do what All for One wanted. I know a hero who didn't give him everything, either. He used her, but she stayed true to herself. To her heart. The problem was he'd crushed her spirit!" He was referring to Lady Nagant...and how All for One did away with her.
Toshinori looked at him wide-eyed, knowing that he must be going through a lot... "Young Midoriya."
"Making mistakes or committing a crime doesn't mean you have to be a villain forever!" Izuku then reached out his hand. "So I want you to take my hand. Right now."
Katsuki looked at him wide-eyed. Izuka blinked in shock at her brother, loosening her grip on Katsuki a little. I see what you're doing... It was...the same thing Izuku tried to do for Katsuki that day when he fell in the water as a kid.
"Because I promise you, you can still be a hero!" Izuku implored to the sobbing Yuga.
"Not so fast, Midoriya," Naomasa interjected to the green-haired boy. "Sansa, gag the kid. We're taking him in. Save the hand holding for later. It's a tough situation. But it doesn't erase the fact that he helped All for One, and targeted your sister. Besides...we're only assuming he's safe because he hasn't exploded. We can't say for sure that what happened to Nagant won't happen to him. We shouldn't let him speak another word until we can get him checked out and cleared at Central Hospital." And so, Yuga was gagged with a metal brace.
Izuku looked at the ground, unable to stop crying. He didn't want to treat Yuga like this, or be unable to help him...but there wasn't much he could do right now.
"Mr. And Mrs. Aoyama," Naomasa spoke up, and they didn't look up. "One last thing. Why didn't you tell All for One we planned to attack Kamino?"
"We have no way of reaching out to him ourselves," Mr. Aoyama explained to everyone. "He is in control of that too. We have to wait for him to get in touch with us. And each time, the contact information is different."
"So if you were caught, you'd be useless to us," Naomasa deduced of the strategy All for One did. "Of course."
"Detective," Izuku whispered, getting the man's attention. "We still have no idea where All for One is. But think..." His bangs hid his eyes, but he was still crying. "The board has changed."
Denki gasped as he remembered what Katsuki said to him before. "But we're still at a disadvantage. Now do you get why we're tapping every possible hero and resource?"
Denki gasped again, his face slowly turning into shock.
"Our next move's vital."
"Wait, hold up!" He suddenly called out from behind the twins and Katsuki. "Do we now have a way of forcing them to fight on our terms?"
The teachers, principal, and Naomasa all gasped sharply. "He's right!" Minoru looked up wide-eyed in realization.
"When you look at it that way, he's given us the upper hand..." Momo murmured in disbelief at the indirect move they had now. "It's possible that Aoyama is the only person in the world with the power to trick All for One!"
Izuku nodded in agreement with them. He looked back towards Yuga, clenching his fists. "Aoyama. I'll say it one more time. I promise you. You too can be a hero!"
Yuga stared at them, unsure of how to answer...part of him had hope in his eyes...but he was still hesitant...