Chapter 53:

(Ok, I seriously need to get out that Splatoon Side Order fic out, but I'm NOT gonna do that and actually work on this first. Anyways, this should hopefully be the last one before more Claus chapters. Enjoy!)

Words of Hero Killer Stain and his defeat had spread like wildfire. Many people had heard about. A girl in a school uniform, a man with burn scars all over his body. A large man in the woods.

"I'm coming to you live from Ekou Street in Hosu City. Last night, just after 8 PM, the Hero Killer Stain was arrested by Endeavor on this very blo—" Kurogiri had turned the tv off, while Tomura read the articles of the newspaper. "He's all they're talking about." Tomura said, quietly, before he started crumpling the newspaper. "What about my Nomus?" Tomura threw the newspaper and slammed his fist against the bar table.

He realized he tried to make the world forget about that mistake of a recruit, "Not only have they not forgotten, but we didn't even make the front page." Shigaraki said.

(Huh? Oh right, I guess I gotta talk about the others)

Best Jeanist stood before his intern and sidekicks, addressing the incident back in Hosu. "The Hero Killer Stain was arrested. There were also incidents with villains who resembled Nomu from the USJ attack." Best Jeanist explained, now gesturing about how his associates are wondering about the connections. "Well, I, too, am concerned." Best Jeanist said, "People tend to come apart at the seams in times like this. That's why we heroes must remain calm despite our fears. Don't let chaos tempt you into thoughtless overreaction." Best Jeanist reminded everyone that they're to protect and keep the peace, not seek out vengeance. Katsuki had been shaking the entire time, listening to this guy blather on. He was angry about his hair and about how high-and-mighty this guy was trying to be. "It'll be business as usual today." Best Jeanist said, "Standard material. May your minds and bodies be as sharp as your jeans."

All of his sidekicks had shown their gratitude, while Katsuki was ready to leave and never return.

(I genuinely have no idea what was his problem in that scene, besides the hair. Then again, Katsuki's problems have felt so stupid to me)

"Uh! Midoriya wrote me back!" Eijirou realized, looking at his phone. "That location he sent was in the middle of the action in Hosu." Eijirou realized that Midoriya had sent it to them due to the incident. Eijirou was glad to report it. "Hey!" Tetsutetsu called to him, and told him to put the phone away before Fourth Kind sees him with it. "We're gonna be late." Tetsutetsu said. "One sec. I wanna reply." Eijirou said, and Tetsutetsu shut his locker and saw that their mentor was right behind them.

"What did I say about punctuality?" Fourth Kind asked them, after hitting the two of them.

"Right. Sorry, sir!" The two of them said. "Come on. Time to patrol." Fourth Kind instructed them, "Yes sir!" Eijirou and Tetsutetsu responded.

(Tetsutetsu will still forever be my favorite outta 1-B)

Momo and Itsuka had cringed while they watched when the two of them helped shoot a commercial for hair spray with Uwabami. "They sure put that together fast." Uwabami said, before telling them that was only the first cut. Uwabami then gave a full length explanation about its production, the real time it will most likely air, and what the commercial will need before it's truly finished.

Momo had looked to her side, unsure of how to even comprehend this situation she and Itsuka were in. "So weird. We'll be on TV." Kendo said to her, "We're heroes. This is just what it takes to be a pro." Momo said, still choosing to believe that much.

Uwabami had decided now would be a good time for patrol.

Momo and Itsuka's jaws shot open and were excited. Finally! Patrol! Something other than being a celebrity.

Momo and Itsuka ran out, but then Momo had received a text. She realized before that Midoriya had sent a text to them earlier.

"Oh, it's from Sakai & Todoroki." She thought to herself.

Text:

Lucas: Hi, Yaoyorozu-san! How's ur internship?

Shoto: Right now, a few of us are in the hospital.

Momo: Are you all right? What happened?

Lucas: I don't think we're allowed to say. But we're okay.

Shoto: We would need to consult the others about it. How about you? I hope you're faring better than we are right now.

Momo: I'm…all right. This internship was a little…unexpected.

Lucas: I suppose we were in the same boat then. Still. I hope you're doing okay. See you.

Shoto: Be sure to stay safe. Bye.

Momo: Thanks for checking in. See you later.

(End of text)

"Yaoyorozu? What's up?" Kendo asked her. "O-Oh, I'm on my way." Momo said, though she wondered what happened that Sakai & Todoroki were in the hospital.

(Momo got relevance. After that Sarcastic Chorus shipping video. I HAD to figure out how to do more stuff with her. And back to Ochaco, I guess)

Ochaco was with Izuku, "Oh my gosh! That's so scary!" Ochaco was relieved they were okay. "I got really nervous when the only thing you sent was your location."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Izuku apologized, "But it's all I really had time to send." Ochaco shook her head and smiled. "Don't worry, sounds like you went through a lot. How are Lu and Iida?" She asked.

"Iida's doing a lot better, but Lucas has to wait a while and fix his blood loss." Izuku explained. "Okay. Well…You get some rest. I wanna hear everything later." Ochaco said, with Izuku said thanks.

"Uravity. We're about to start." Gunhead had said to his intern. "Oh! Sorry." Ochaco apologized before wrapping up the call.

"I'll see you back at school." She said, hoping she didn't bother Deku too much. "Bye!"

Gunhead couldn't be seen doing it, but the look on his face implied he may be blushing. "Was that a boy?" He asked, teasingly. "Um, yeah, but it's not like that." Ochaco then suddenly blushed.

(Meanwhile)

Izuku had been shaking his phone and blushing. Lucas had smiled and stood by Izuku as support. "I can't believe I talked to a girl on the phone!" Izuku said in his mind. "Easy now. It was a simple conversation, same as any other day with Ochaco." Lucas reminded him, seeing that Izuku was blushing and seemed in a trance.

"It's like she was whispering in my ear!" Izuku thought to himself again.

Lucas had to get some food rich in iron to make sure he could replenish some blood cells, so Izuku walked with him as backup. "So, how'd you manage to master your powers?" Lucas asked Izuku, still happy for his friend that he had master One For All without injuring himself.

"I thought about what you told me, then remembered all the times that I used my powers…" Izuku explained the whole situation.

"And now you can use it without breaking a limb. Again, I'd be screaming with excitement, but, I'm afraid I'll pass out again if I do." Lucas explained, completely happy for his friend. "Yeah, well, what really helped me tie it together was the microwave and the pastry." Izuku said, which Lucas made a questioning look at that last part. "What?" Lucas asked.

(Later)

The two of them had gotten back, Lucas and Izuku came and saw Shoto and Tenya with gloomy expressions on their faces. "Hey, Iida. We just talked to Ochaco and—" Izuku tried to talk, but Shoto had interrupted him

"Guys. Iida…just got his test results back." Shoto explained.

Izuku and Lucas then looked at their friend, Tenya looked down, he looked upset. "Wh-What did they say?" Lucas asked, a little nervous. "My left hand…might have damage that's permanent." Tenya said, and Izuku and Lucas had grown more worried.

"What? Permanent?" Izuku asked, the light from his eyes had vanished.

"Both my arms were pretty torn up. But the injury to my left arm was especially severe." Tenya explained that the damaged was to his brachial plexus, and it implied he'd have trouble moving his fingers. "And my hand might have some numbness." Lucas couldn't bear to hear those words.

"Apparently, there's a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery." Tenya tried to smile, but he saw the saddened faces of his friends and he returned to his shame. "When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should've done was call Manual. But I got lost in my own anger." He recalled Stain's words about how he was blinded by desires of revenge, and that he was as far away from a hero as the Hero Killer would imagine.

"I hate him so much, but I can't deny he spoke the truth." Tenya explained. "That's why, until I'm able to call myself a real hero, I'll leave my left hand as it is." Lucas was shocked that he said that, "T-Tenya, no. Here. Let me see your hand." Lucas tried to step in. "Hold it, Lucas." Shoto stopped his friend. "Are you sure?"

Izuku realized he hadn't truly been there for Iida. He believed that if he had acted as a better friend back then, Tenya wouldn't have gone through this.

"No. Stop it. He's already accepted what happened. It would be selfish to make this about me." Izuku realized.

"Iida, I feel the same way." He said to him, holding up his hand, showing the scars he received from the attack, he realized his hand is a reminder, too. "Let's get stronger. Together." Izuku said, holding his fist in front of Tenya. Tenya nodded his head, solemnly.

Lucas felt the scar on his cheek, "My dad hates that this happened to me…but…I'll keep it. I'm in, too." Lucas said, realizing his scar should follow the same logic.

Shoto looked at the three of them in shock and looked down. "I feel kind of bad." Shoto said, which made the three of them look at him. "About what?" Izuku asked.

"Whenever I'm involved, someone's hand gets all messed up. Is something wrong with me?" He began to ask.

Tenya and Izuku looked at him, "Am I cursed?" Shoto had asked, while the two boys had wondered where he drew that conclusion, before they believed he was making a joke.

"Todoroki, I didn't know you had a sense of humor." Izuku said, "This isn't a joke. I'm like "The Hand Crusher" or something." Shoto said, still not realizing how awkward he's being. Before Tenya and Izuku burst out laughing again. "The Hand, Crusher" Lucas smiled for his friend.

Lucas put his hand on his shoulder. "You're not the Hand Crusher, Shoto. Don't you ever think you're cursed." Lucas said, happily.

Shoto was still new to this kindness Sakai shows, but he gave a small smile. "Okay." Shoto said, finally.

(Since I forgot to add the facts, I'll add Lucas's bio at the end)

Toshinori had been receiving a call, interrupting work while Hizashi & Aizawa found his ringtone cringeworthy.

"Yes, hello?" Toshinori asked. "He can't possibly be serious with that ringtone." Aizawa had thought to himself.

"Wha—? Hi, sir!" Toshinori realized who was calling. He was bleeding a little.

(I think I developed a fear about my ringtone would always be found cringeworthy because of this moment, so I bought one that plays Xenoblade Chronicles's Counterattack to be purely instrumental. Anyways, back to the hospital!)

Nezu had sat down, seeing as he wanted to discuss the internship with Endeavor, and Gran Torino wanted to talk to him, as well. But, he saw the elder pro was on the phone with his old friend.

"You coulda warned me about Izuku Midoriya. I know it probably couldn't be helped, but thanks to him, I'm getting a pay cut and my teaching license is being suspended for six months. His tendency to jump into situations without thinking is just like yours, Toshinori." Gran Torino was silently furious with his former protégé. "I humbly apologize, sir. It's because of my insufficient teaching." Toshinori explained, his heart pounding and his sweat rushing. "I can't believe my protege caused you so much trouble." Toshinori thought this would be very bad.

"Well, I don't care about my teaching license anymore. You're the only reason I got it. And that was so I could keep my promise to your predecessor, Shimura." He reminded him.

Nezu just sat while the call continued, he was becoming a little less entertained, as he wanted to at least see Gran Torino lash out at Toshinori a tad.

"—If that's true, why don't you ever visit me?" Gran Torino had asked, Nezu chuckled a little at that. "I actually called to talk about the Hero Killer. I saw him only briefly in person, but in that short amount of time, he shook me to my very core." Gran Torino admitted, realizing the hatred that lives inside that man. "I can't believe he was able to frighten someone like you, Gran Torino. He must have already been tied up, so what scared you?" Toshinori asked, "It probably stemmed from his fanatic ideology." Gran Torino explained. Stain was obsessive to the point of intimidation. That determination he carried also reminded him of how Toshinori had carried himself. "What do you mean?" Toshinori asked, now Nezu was re-intrigued.

"To put it simply, you've both got charisma." Gran Torino explained that since Stain's arrest, his ideology and opinions will be all over the media, the amount of influence his actions had will be a guarantee of that. People will want to know his motives, and it doesn't help that the age they live is one fueled by suppression, for better or for worse. "There will be people all across the globe who are influenced by these new ideas."

Nezu had thought about that, "It's true. There isn't a doubt that the Hero Killer's actions and ideals will influence people who sympathize with those notions will still strike out on their own." He said to the elder hero.

"They'll begin to strike out, but the heroes will still stop them." Toshinori said over the phone.

"That's where the League of Villains comes in." Gran Torino said, "The Hosu Incident suggests that Stain and the League are connected somehow." Nezu nodded his head and put his paw up to his chin as Gran Torino explained it.

The League of Villains would later be unseen as a group of delinquents who just wanted to attack UA, to a group of ideological beings who have a goal in mind.

Nezu thought about the attack of the Nomus in Hosu. "If my pup's theory was anything to go by, there's a possibility someone is making them for this group already." Nezu explains, "That man…Tomura Shigaraki. He could try taking advantage of that evil and trying to unify it under one banner. Or…more accurately. The person fostering his malice." Nezu surmised.

"Our enemy is unknown, and they seem to already have the means to attack us without mercy. We need to be prepared. That said…I have a feeling we're already acquainted with our enemy-in-question." Nezu said.

"Agreed. He's steadily getting rid of any obstacles one by one, trying to create conditions to favor his own purpose." Gran Torino said, "When I heard from Tsukauchi that Nomu had multiple quirks, I had a bad feeling. What's if he's back?" Toshinori asked.

"I don't deny the idea. You both seem concerned it could be the man who killed Shimura, my sworn friend, Toshinori's master, and the previous holder of One For All." Gran Torino said, reminding them of the many crimes towards All Might.

"You're afraid the villain named All For One is on the rise again." Gran Torino said.

"For him to've survived such injuries, though, I don't wanna imagine it's possible." Toshinori said over the phone. "I don't want to, either, Toshi, but we both know that man has been capable of in the past." Nezu explained.

He shut his eyes and thought of this. This is potentially grim. That man had done harm to many in the past, and if he's back. It's not trouble for All Might or himself, it's for Lucas, Izuku, UA and the world of heroes itself.

Nezu could feel his heart pounding from the anxiety, before taking a deep breath. "Toshinori. That child admires you so wholly and fiercely. You should find the time to tell him everything concerning you and One For All." Gran Torino said, knowing Midoriya may need to prepare for future battles. "Be honest. He deserves to know the truth." Gran Torino said.

Nezu didn't know how to take those words. He had personally thought those things about Lucas, he deserved to know where he had come from, but…he was scared of the idea of losing his connection to him. The thoughts of causing a rift with his son shook him again.

He didn't realize Gran Torino had ended his call.

"You seem a little shook. Can I ask why?" Gran Torino asked the "mouse", Nezu had took a deep breath and returned to his neutral smile.

"I'm all right. Thank you, Torino-sensei." Nezu said, Gran Torino folded his arms. "You're still in your head a lot, I see." Gran Torino told him. "That kid…the blonde one. He means a lot to you. I know you don't call people by their first names, otherwise."

Nezu had folded his arms, "I'm his father…Adopted, but…still his father." Nezu explained. "Oh. Congratulations, now explain to me why this is the first time I'm hearing this?" Gran Torino asked. "My apologies." Nezu could only say. "Well, whatever the case: I can tell you've sheltered him, by the way he thinks he talks to a police officer." Nezu still wasn't expecting Lucas to be so direct and angry with Chief Tsuragamae. "But, I can tell he's not some entitled nepo-baby. He's just naive. I can tell he leaps in headfirst and doesn't care if he gets a concussion. That kid will get himself killed if he's not careful." Gran Torino scolded the chimera. Nezu looked down, "I know that. I'm trying my best to help him understand that. Lucas has a tendency to overdo it." He said, Gran Torino nodded. "But another thing. My words to Toshinori about the truth seemed to shock you. Whatever you're hiding from your kid, you can't protect him like that. He needs to know, as well. If you're worried about how he responds, reiterate that you care about him." Gran Torino said.

Nezu had looked to his side thinking about it. He understood what he needed to do next. "You're right, Torino-sensei. But not now. He's already been through enough for now." Nezu said, deciding to wait until Lucas is fully healed. The truth isn't completely harmful, but it would hurt Lucas to know he can't find his real family. Or that he was a former experiment for people involved in trafficking.

(Meanwhile)

Two days had already passed and the news over at the main land had been exploding with news and stories about the infamous Hero Killer. He would be intrigued about that if he wasn't so annoyed, all those materials. All the things he and the doctor had used to create those Nomus. "What a waste…" he said, still believing his voice sounds the same as it used to.

Giran had sent this to his associates and they sent word of this per his order. This was great news, either way. Havoc in Japan is going to be more fun than before.

He looked at the video footage of Stain's declaration and noticed one thing in the video's view. A boy in a with blonde hair and had a familiar face. "I-It's not possible…it's him." He said, looking at the video footage.

"So you survived, after all. Well, now I KNOW this is going to be fun. Spankety, spankety, spankety!" He said, coughing a little bit after laughing too hard.

(Okay, we're done! I know I prolly shoulda showed off the scene with Giran, but I figured this'd still be a good time to show off our extra player. Anyways, now I can work on more Claus chapters as they take place before the League of Villains begins to truly form, wink wink. Anyways, stay strong and awesome! Also, here's Lucas's bio and another Bible verse.)

(Lucas Sakai:

"Quirk": PSI

"Carries a wide variety of power, mostly comprised of psychic abilities."

Affiliation: U.A. High School Hero Class 1-A

Birthday: 4/20

Height: 166 cm

Blood Type: B

Likes: Omelettes)

John 10:25-30 KJV:

25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; 28. and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30. I and my Father are one.