Chapter 115 - 13-14

Chapter 13: Dark Business and Interrupted Schooling

The bar, for all its dim atmosphere and disheveled clientele, was immaculately clean. Its caretaker, a slim man dressed in formal attire and sporting a metal brace about his neck had a head wreathed in a haze of dark purple smoke, punctuated by two shifting, yellow tendrils of light. He was silent as he worked, buffing the already immaculate counter with a single minded determination that bordered on the inhuman. Pausing in his task, he glanced over to the monitors that sat behind one end of the bar.

His ward was elsewhere, much deeper in the compound, sequestered in an even darker room illuminated solely by the flickering lights of his television, mindlessly tapping away at another one of his little diversions. What it was that Master Tomura found so engaging in those games of his, Kurogiri was unable to grasp. So long as the boy was content, he was pleased to allow him his rest. Another matter drew his attention, two suited figures appearing in the camera feed that pointed down the street, walking purposefully towards his bar. One was clutching a black attache case in a white knuckled grip while the other seemed to be checking his weapons. Kurogiri sighed, spiriting the cloth he had been using to clean into the recesses of his vest, and placed his hands gently onto the polished wood surface. There was a knock from the other side, and Kurogiri spoke.

"Red sky at night, shepard's delight." From the other side was a quiet shuffling before the answer came.

"Red sky at morning, shepherd take warning." The door opened quietly, moving on well oiled hinges, and the men slipped inside. Kurogiri watched them carefully.

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party. Gentlemen," he droned, noting their immediate discomfort with something that had, once, approached a sense of satisfaction for him. Beneath the smoke, he smiled. "You are of course welcome in this establishment, but be cautioned that we are considered neutral ground, and that you will be asked to remove yourselves into the adjacent alleyway if you wish to conduct business." The pair eyed him warily as they approached, one of the regulars in his booth snorting derisively as they passed.

"We understand that the...proprietor of your establishment has an interest in our master's work. Would a meeting with him also take place in an alley?" One of the yellow glows that was Kurogiri's eye widened at the comment, and he turned his back on the pair to survey his spirits.

"Will the gentlemen be ordering something to drink?" He inquired, careful not to let his disdain show in his voice. Apparently, one of the men did not appreciate this, and made to grab him over the counter. Kurogiri stepped further away before rounding on him.

"The Eight Precepts of Death are not people you ignore!" He demanded, pulling a sleek black handgun from the holster he wore under his jacket. He levelled the gun at Kurogiri's brace, his finger along the side of the slide but away from the trigger. The man who had snorted broke into full on laughter then, and the two Yakuza tensed.

"They will never find your body," Kurogiri intoned, and the mobster fell into the portal that opened under his feet, disappearing with a smell of burning ozone and salt air. "As for you, what is your pleasure, please?"

"What did you do to him?" The remaining Yakuza seemed relatively unconcerned by the departure of his acquaintance, though he maintained his grip on the case. "Iwai whiskey, neat, if you have it." Kurogiri returned his attention to the spirits, and made to pour the man his drink.

"Troublemakers are deposited at a convenient spot in the Arctic ocean; I am assured that they usually succumb to shock within seconds." He slid the drink down to the Yakuza with practiced ease, who nodded in thanks before taking a measured sip, savoring the whiskey.

"You have my apologies for my companion's...rudeness. There are, unfortunately, a number among the ranks of the Precepts who refuse to adapt to the times."

"Your apology is noted," rumbled Kurogiri, retrieving his cloth and beginning to wipe the bar again. "Your business here is likewise acknowledged, though the, ah, proprietor as you called him, will not be available for a meeting for some time."

"Naturally, I understand. Please, however, accept this as proof of what the Yakuza would seek to bring to the table for your master. The Precepts wish to maintain some relevance in this new age, and our leadership is aware that nothing is permissible outside the knowing of the king of the underworld."

"You understand that the proprietor's supply of Trigger is already well in hand? The manufacturers may be acting in a...reduced capacity, but why bother with a trafficking network when the source is directly available?" The Yakuza smirked knowingly.

"While it is true that the Eight Precepts does serve in some capacity as distributors for our mutual acquaintances, what we are seeking is approval for an endeavour of our own devising." He moved himself behind the case and undid the clasps, doing his best to block the contents from the sight of the other patrons as he lifted the lid. Foam padding surrounded five blue cylinders which seemed to glow in their casings with a soft light. He leaned in and whispered to Kurogiri. "This serum is the prototype formula for a drug which can destroy quirks permanently. When applied to the bullets included," he indicated a series of red cartridges tipped with hypodermic needles, " these will render a target's quirk factor disabled for a period of three hours. Our research indicates that we are on the cusp of perfecting the formula, and we already possess an antidote serum as well. The Eight Precepts wishes to make this initial sampling available to you unconditionally, but would appreciate a meeting in the near future to arrange a more long-term arrangement." He snapped the lid shut and slid the case across the counter to Kurogiri, who eyed it impassively. 

"As I stated, your errand here has been acknowledged. My Master will be in contact with your organization should he prove interested. Assuming your business is concluded, you are free to remain and finish your drink, should you desire, or you may depart with a guarantee of safe conduct back to your own operation." Kurogiri gave a slight bow of his head as he spoke and slipped the case below the counter, watching his patrons for any errant move towards the bar. Satisfied that there would be no further trouble for the moment, Kurogiri left the Yakuza to his own devices as he resumed his cleaning.

Thursday proved to be something of a spectacle for Izuku, as he soon discovered that UA followed a European model of schooling and practiced the five day school week. He thought it odd that he had not known about the unusual schedule beforehand, but it made their teachers' rapid pace more understandable. As it were, his free period of the day was going to be spent in Nezu's office receiving personal instruction in whatever it was the principal saw fit to teach, and owing to the rotating schedule, he found himself easing into a comfortable chair and sipping on a cup of tea right before lunch. Nezu sat behind his too large desk tapping idly at his laptop and letting out little noises of contentment as he drank his own tea.

"Quite an eventful first day of practical exercises, was it not Mr. Midoriya?" he said after a while, cocking an eyebrow as he drained his cup. Izuku nodded, before realizing that the principal wanted more from him.

"Ah, well, yes, though I'm afraid I overdid it a bit during my own bout. It's very fortunate that UA has Cementoss-sensei to make ad-hoc repairs! And the other matches were much more interesting, especially Shoji's and Jirou's. Their use of their quirks for recon was even more useful than the camera feed I hijacked! I hope that was ok, by the way. I know it wasn't against the rules per se, but it seemed a little against the spirit of the exercise-" Nezu silenced him with a paw as he wheeled over to his tea cart, refilling his cup.

"A hero should always be willing to use every resource at their disposal, which includes their own intellect, and on occasion, a creative interpretation of the rules. I have already regaled you with the tale of my own escapades, no pun intended, which should illustrate the principle more firmly for you." Izuku nodded, recalling the conversation he had had with the principal before the entrance exam in the workshop. The details had not been pleasant, but there was definitely a practical lesson to be learned. "My purpose in taking you on for these extra lessons is to both nurture this ability, and to provide the intellectual stimulation that you require, but which our curriculum sadly does not provide for you."

"Extra homework I suppose," grumbled Izuku, not quite under his breath. His face reddened as he realized what had slipped out, slapping a hand over his mouth and offering hasty and muffled apologies, but Nezu only cackled at him merrily.

"No and yes, my pupil! I have had the privilege of looking over a few of your personal notebooks; the code you write in is quite adept, but I may be able to teach you one which is even harder to crack. I am glad, however, that you chose to employ cryptography at all, given the danger that those journals of yours represent should they ever be misplaced." Izuku paled at that, and Nezu backpedaled a bit, hoping to avoid a repeat of the other day. 

"That is not to say that I would ever see you part with them, only that I would like to help you make them even more secure than they already are. Which, since we are on the subject, brings me to the next point of discussion I had for you; analysis. I take it that you have put some effort into reviewing the quirks and performance of your classmates?"

"Their costumes as well," Izuku supplied. "I realize I'm not exactly the paragon of form over function myself, but there are a number of changes I would make to most of their gear...well, with the exception of Asui, possibly Ojiro and Shoji, and uh...Todoroki." Izuku shifted a bit in his seat as he recalled the battle from the day before, and Nezu offered him an indulgent look.

"Besides All Might, both myself and Aizawa-sensei had access to the comms during the match, but your classmates only had video-feed available to them. While your use of force against the boy may have been somewhat excessive given the environment, I would like to assure you again, especially after the incident with Mineta, that attitudes of intolerance will not be accepted in my school. Action will be taken to address the issue." Izuku blanched at that. 

"You can't punish Todoroki sir! It's not his fault that nobody ever taught him any different. Have you seen how he interacts with everyone; he's probably been isolated his entire life. You can't put all the fault on him for that, especially since he was just trying to keep me safe, in his own, messed up kind of way." He had risen from his chair once more, but Nezu waved him down again.

"I understand that, Midoriya, and believe me when I say that I can acknowledge the complexity of the situation. I will not be taking direct action against young Todoroki at this time, you can trust in that, but you should also know that I have very little tolerance for the dehumanization of others." The principal's eyes narrowed and Izuku was confronted with the mental image of the creature before him caged and subjected to the mercies of none too tender researchers. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "Some would say that I resent humans, and in the broad sense, they would be right. I have seen first hand the callousness that human society can foster, the disregard that man can hold in his heart for the lives and rights of others. But in another, more personal sense, I deeply respect people , individuals like All Might, or even yourself, and I would like to say that I am especially fond of children."

"I haven't done anything worthy of your respect, principal Nezu," Izuku mumbled, blushing at the compliment and his being compared to All Might, all the while looking down at his hands. 

"Even if you don't see it, I do, but should you like to prove it to yourself as well, you can do so by completing your first assignment for me. By the time of our next meeting, I would request you complete a five page analysis on each of your classmates with notes on their quirks and other abilities, suggestions for improvements, and any, ahem, costume redesigns you would care to submit. These recommendations would not be given to them directly," he waved his paws, stopping the objection that was rising to Izuku's lips. "Rather, they would be presented as a service of UA, after they pass under my personal review of course." He smiled at Izuku, who was starting to nod along at the idea. Anonymity would free the boy to be as honest as he liked in his assessments, and Nezu hoped he would take advantage of the opportunity to share his feedback with the other hero hopefuls.

"Which brings me to the final point I wanted to cover before we began our lessons proper," Nezu sat back in his chair as Izuku pulled yet another notebook from his bag and opened it expectantly, pen hovering just over the page.

"Yes, sir?" he ventured, not quite sure where this would be going.

"Provided you have no objections, I would like to add Young Yaoyorozu to these sessions of ours as well; I believe you saw her display her own aptitude for analysis at yesterday's battle trial, as well as how she sussed out Aizawa's 'rational deception' during the quirk apprehension test."

"Wait, that was actually a bluff? I thought he just changed his mind at the last minute." Nezu chuckled.

"While Aizawa-sensei does have a tendency to be a bit, mmm, liberal with expulsion, he has never done so as a result of the apprehension test or its supposed consequences. He is hardly the only teacher to use deception as a motivator, though his tendency towards melodrama and his actual record of expulsion make it quite the compelling ruse." Izuku considered this for a moment, before deciding that he didn't believe the excuse in the slightest, but gave a nod of understanding anyway. Yaoyorozu seemed capable, and he had already wanted to talk with her about her analysis. Besides, it might serve to deflect some of Nezu's attention away from himself. He smiled.

"It would be wonderful to have another student here, principal Nezu. Collaboration almost always improves outcomes after all." 

"Excellent, I'll inform Miss Yaoyorozu to join us at our next meeting. Now, let's begin properly; welcome to your personal lessons, there's tea on the cart anytime you would like it, and please be sure to bring plenty of writing materials." A hungry look came over the principal in that moment, and Izuku gulped before raising his pen to the empty page. He began to write.

"Oi, shitnerd, the fuck is wrong with you?" said Bakugo, poking Izuku in the cheek with a chopstick. He was seated to his right, Iida flanking the boy on his left and also expressing concern at the glazed, burnt out look Izuku was sporting. Uraraka sat across from the three, her own face screwed up in barely contained laughter, with Asui and Kirishima to her right and left respectively, both seemingly oblivious to the antics of their classmates. 

"Nezu-sama is really intense," mumbled Izuku, not really looking at the bite of rice he was raising to his mouth. "He's teaching me how to take over the world, I think." His movements were more robotic than even Iida's, and his voice was even softer than normal, with an almost dreamlike bent to his speaking. For the first time in as long as Bakugo could remember, the nerd seemed mentally exhausted. That, naturally, presented a unique opportunity. 

"Hey, Deku, didn't you used to run around in an All Might onesie while Auntie played citizen for you? Got any pictures from then?" Izuku nodded to him numbly and produced his phone, unlocking it and handing it absent-mindedly to his friend who cackled in delight. Iida squawked something about privacy while Uraraka squealed in glee and leaned over the table to look at the photos Bakugo was scrolling through. He sent the most incriminating to himself before handing it back, laughing.

"Yeah, those are almost as good as the ones of you in your All-Might onesie that time we went as him and Nighteye for halloween," said Izuku sleepily. Bakugo went absolutely still beside him, and Izuku continued without noticing. "Auntie had to work so hard to get your hair to part like that, and then it just puffed right back out by the end of the night...hehe." Suddenly Bakugo had him in a hold and was slapping his hand down hard over Izuku's mouth.

"Did somebody say blackmail on Bakugo?" cried Mina, leaning over from the adjacent table and flashing her own wicked grin. 

"Blackmail's not very manly, bro," said Kirishima, finally joining the conversation. Mina shrugged at him.

"Good thing I'm all woman then," she smirked, winking at them. Bakugo made a sound halfway between a laugh and a gag, while Iida turned a deep crimson and Uraraka giggled into her hand. Asui croaked indifferently, and Izuku looked over at the boisterous girl without any recognition in his gaze.

"Don't blackmail Kacchan, he's finally being nice to people," he said, earning him a round of riotous laughter from the girl, as well as a collection of shocked glances from the rest of the table.

"Holy shit Midori, you are just full of surprises, I can't believe you - Agh, my ears!" Mina was cut off in her rebuttal by a sudden piercing alarm, accompanied by an announcement over the speakers for students to evacuate owing to a level three breach. There was a beat, punctuated by the insistent bleating of the siren, and then the stampede began. Students from every course made a mad dash for the exit, heedless of their unlucky peers getting caught up in the rush.

"What's security level three?" shouted Iida, hands gesticulating wildly. An older student called back to him over his shoulder as he ran with the others.

"Someone's infiltrated the building, first time in my three years here! Get going underclassmen!" The press of bodies around them forced Izuku to the floor, who rapidly regained his lucidity even as Iida was slammed against the window. Separated by the tide, Uraraka was carried away by the wave of students. Out of the corner of his eye, Iida spotted a mass of reporters bristling with camera equipment and microphones swarming around Present Mic and Eraserhead on the campus lawn. 

"Everyone, please, it's just the press! There is no cause for alarm!" His shouts reached only those nearest him, who were themselves too caught up in the panic to do much more than let themselves be carried along. He redoubled his efforts, but still found that he was unable to be heard above the din. 

"I heard you, Iida," said Izuku, appearing at his side against the window. The boy had engaged his torso armor and had once again lost his blazer, but thankfully appeared unhurt. "I just wish the others could...oh I'm an idiot." He produced his phone from his pocket and hooked it into a cable that emerged from his arm's shiny carapace, muttering something about a lynchpin as he did so. A moment later he unhooked his phone and raised it to his ear. "Yeah, it's Midoriya, yeah, Iida and I can see it from where we are, no, just reporters, but no one can hear us. I figured you could make something to help with - thanks, I'll leave you to it then." He clicked his phone off and returned it to his pocket as Iida looked at him quizzically. The answer to his unasked question came a moment later.

"Attention, everyone, please, your attention!" rang out Yaoyorozu. She was floating just slightly above the crowd, megaphone in hand and Uraraka grabbing onto her leg to prevent her from rising too high. "The breach is simply the result of reporters entering the grounds, please, behave in a way befitting of UA and refrain from panicking. Our instructors have the matter well in hand, let us all evacuate in an orderly fashion." 

At the girl's urging the mass of students calmed down considerably, and it was with a self satisfied smirk that she and Uraraka joined the two boys, lightly dropping to the ground as Uraraka released the hold of her quirk.

"Thank you very much for your timely warning, Midoriya," she said, dusting herself off and dropping the megaphone onto a nearby table. Uraraka mimicked her gesture to her left and let out a small cheer as the crowd began to thin. "I am curious as to how you acquired my cell number though…" 

"Ah, w-w-well you s-see," Izuku began, red faced and fumbling desperately for his own phone. Once he was able to hold it steady he unlocked it to reveal a simple green circle on a screen of black. "I h-have a p-program that I can use to do stuff f-for me, and I asked it to make a d-direct call, but I don't actually have your n-number as such." Lynchpin hummed happily from the screen, making his approximation of a chuckle.

"Odd, but acceptable, and you seem reliable enough not to abuse a tool like that. I appreciate it, Midoriya," she smiled and took his phone from him, tapping in something before handing it back. "There, now you have my contact information officially. I imagine Principal Nezu would want us to keep in touch anyways now that I'll be joining you two." Izuku stuttered his thanks as she turned on her heel and made to join the rest of the departing students, leaving the others to follow behind awkwardly. As they walked, Iida and Uraraka also exchanged numbers with him, with Kirishima and Mina promising to do so later. Holy crap, that could have been really bad , thought Izuku, some of the haze he had been in earlier returning as they walked. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a sense of unease was growing.

After their teachers finished a brutal tongue-lashing of the presumptuous reporters, aided in no small part by the arrival of the local police force, the students had conducted a quick roll call on the grounds outside the building before returning to their classes. The rest of the day passed as normal, and most of Friday did as well. It was exceptionally unexceptional by the standards of UA, which left most of the students feeling a sense of anticipation hanging heavy about their shoulders. With an extended study period that afternoon before foundational heroics began, Aizawa corralled his students into order and announced their next assignment.

"So, I've been meaning to do this for a bit, but I kind of forgot since it didn't seem that important. Pick a class president and vice president before the study period is over. I don't care how you do it so long as you do it quickly and don't disturb me before the period is over. You've got rescue training for foundational heroics this afternoon and if I get dry-eye because I couldn't get any rest you'll all be expelled." 

He gave the students another crimson glare before placing some drops in his eyes and opening a juice pouch. A moment later he retrieved his cocoon from his desk, zipped up the sleeping bag, and shuffled underneath with a series of muffled threats against waking him. Almost immediately the class exploded into a wave of volunteers for the position, several students rising from their desks as their hands shot into the air. It was Iida's distinctive timbre which finally broke through the tumult, moving even Bakugo to a temporary silence. 

"Everyone, ambition to lead does not equate to ability to do so! If we are to function as a class, we should allow for a vote to decide our president!"

"We've known each other for only a while," objected Asui, staring plaintively at him, "we haven't really had time to build any trust between each other."

"Yeah," added Kirishima, "everyone will probably just vote for themselves anyways. I mean, I like everybody here, but I don't know anyone well enough to follow them yet."

"Precisely my point," rebutted Iida, passion radiating off of him as he spoke. "Any individual who is able to acquire multiple votes at this early stage in the term will have already shown themselves to be a capable leader." 

"I guess that's fair enough," conceded Uraraka, looking somewhat disgruntled by all the commotion. With the consent of most of the class, paper ballots were passed around and collected and the votes tallied by Iida and Sato, who seemed disinterested in the entire affair. After a recount to confirm the results, Iida announced the results with a glum look on his face.

"With four votes, Yaoyorozu is class president and Midoriya is vice president with two." Bakugo grumbled somewhat at the results and scorched his notebook while the others offered their congratulations. Yaoyorozu looked fairly pleased with herself while Izuku groaned inwardly at the prospect of yet more distractions from his time developing his prostheses, but did his best to project a confident exterior. After appointing their class officers, with Iida serving as student representative and seeming more content with the results, the class returned to the normal quiet of the study period. Another twenty minutes passed before the bell signalling the end of the period chimed, and with it came a familiar upperclassman phasing through the door, thankfully in his hero costume instead of in the nude.

"Good afternoon Aizawa-sensei!" boomed Mirio in his best impression of an energetic radio host, eliciting a groan from beneath the desk as the man in question extricated himself from his sleeping bag and regarded the third year disinterestedly. He grunted at him, which Mirio took as his cue to continue. "Hello freshmen," he said, surveying the class and nodding to the people he recognized, "My name is Mirio Togata, but I prefer just Mirio, so none of that Togata-san stuff, please." He beamed and flashed a thumbs up. Bakugo snorted while Izuku groaned, realizing that he was likely in for even more embarrassment than he had suffered at lunch the day before. It was only thanks to Uraraka that he had even found out about the pictures he had supposedly willingly given to Bakugo, which he very fuzzily recalled amidst his memories of Nezu's maddening deluge of information. Aizawa grumbled a bit at the informality.

"Togata is one of the three highest ranked third years currently attending UA; collectively they're known as the Big Three. What's more, even among pros, he's considered the closest to being the next top hero, so listen to him when he tells you something." There was an excited tittering at that, many of class 1-A regarding their senior with a mix of reactions ranging from awe to disbelief. Izuku had known, first hand, that Mirio was an amazing hero in the making, and he also knew that he had improved dramatically in the last two years. Even so, to hear that he was so close to even All Might's level was shocking.

"Ah thanks, but that's not all. As my little bro Midoriya here and a couple of the rest of you youngsters already know, I'm one of a number of third years who will be acting as TA's for the rest of this year." Izuku flushed a bit as he felt eyes on him, silent questions about how someone like him could be related to Mirio. "And today I'll be assisting in your rescue-training class down at the USJ!" He recaptured the attention of his classmates so effortlessly, Izuku wondered if it was another mutation of his quirk. But, no, Mirio had been like that as long as Izuku had known him. 

"Costumes are optional for today's class, since you might not feel ready to navigate tough environments in them yet, but once you've made your decision follow Togata and your class reps to the busses." Aizawa rolled his shoulders as he spoke, pinning Mina and Hagakure to the floor under his stare as they continued to whisper about the USJ. 

Izuku and Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, had gone to stand next to the beaming Mirio, who clapped him on the shoulder and then introduced himself to the girl, talking excitedly about the time Izuku had gotten stuck in a tire while cleaning the beach. The shade on Izuku's face nearly matched his tie as he followed the rest of the students to the lockers, deciding for himself that he would wear his full costume, as most of the others seemed inclined to as well. A quick change, a few headcounts, and another embarrassing anecdote later, and class 1-A was herded onto the busses in no particular seating order and off to their training for the day.

That afternoon, Dr. Tsubasa found himself finishing his final check on D-46. The creature did not seem to register his presence through the dull, empty eyes it stared out at the world with, only its little movements and breathing showing that it was still alive. The basis for the augmentations, a man with large lips, was nowhere to be found in the bulbous mass of torn, ink black skin and deep red scarring that was stretched taut over the powerful frame. The eyes themselves had migrated to the side of a massive beige beak, which had somehow retained a lining of near-human teeth on the inside. 

If the thing had been capable of grinning, Tsubasa was sure it would have been doing so at his obvious discomfort. True he had installed so many safety and command protocols into the construct, the exposed brain crowning the avian skull an unfortunate necessity for that particular feature, that the beast was literally incapable of harming himself, his Master, or Tomura. Nevertheless, having spent months subjecting the abomination to every surgical and chemical treatment he had devised over the course of his long, long, life, he couldn't help but worry that like some horrid contemporary of Samson, it might break free of its conditioning and visit its wrath upon them all. In that case, Master would be Dagon, and this his temple, a thought that Tsubasa resolved never to reveal to anyone and to never ponder himself again.

The warehouse they were assembled in was crowded, especially by Tomura's standards for company. Standing in front of the crowd of assembled fodder, and that was what they were, fodder, the boy seemed no more or less ill at ease than normal. Tsubasa noted that during the entire time he hadn't once indulged his curious tic of scratching at his neck, and for the most part the boy was able to act the part of the leader. Currently he was saying something which would probably inspire the lot of brainless heathens gathered around, something about tearing down the false society that had been built up around All Might. He thought back to that morning, and suppressed a shudder.

It had been early when Master had called Shigaraki to his chambers, and the boy looked as eager to please as it was possible for him to. While Master had spent more and more time in seclusion, his interactions with his protege were frequent enough that it still surprised the doctor how much the boy seemed to cherish the attention of his teacher. Master had told Tsubasa that today's lesson would be important for the boy's development, and that it would absolutely have to be finished before he launched his attack.

"Young Tomura," began Master, standing free of his life support for as long as he could. The man had donned his old mask, with a few additions that Tsubasa had made at his insistence. Between his own quirks and the complicated machinery built into the device, Master would be free to move around for up to an hour per day. If nothing else, it was a good indication that the ancient villain's healing was progressing well. "I have set you several readings which I understand you have completed. Bearing in mind your latest, tell me your thoughts on what you are about to attempt." The boy began to scratch at his neck, but was halted immediately by a tilt of Master's head.

"Sensei," he drawled, hate radiating off of him in waves, though clearly not towards his teacher, "I will end the reign of the symbol of peace! I will destroy this society of false idols and open their eyes to the weakness of his lies!" Shigaraki seemed pleased with himself at that, though Master showed no reaction. Tsubasa tensed.

"You understand, and yet, you lack the proper words to express the sentiment. Let me supply them, then: 'Moral law is an invention of mankind for the disenfranchisement of the powerful in favor of the weak. Historical law subverts it at every turn.' McCarthy as well as the other authors I assigned you have all grasped at the truth, which is that this world of weakness, of meaninglessness, is a facade. It is nothing but a subversion of the natural, proper order, and it is your duty to reassert that order." Shigaraki paused, hands halfway to his neck, and seemed thoughtful. A full five minutes passed before the boy spoke again.

"Sensei...I understand. You wish for me to become my own symbol. A symbol of war!" he was becoming excited, hands clenching and unclenching as he spoke. "To destroy is the truth. It's the ultimate game." 

"You should hardly treat this as a game, young Tomura," interjected Tsubasa, earning a glare from the boy. He cursed himself for his brashness, but beside him Master only offered his weak not-chuckle before he spoke again.

"Dear doctor, your concern for my ward is touching, but I am afraid that it is now you who misunderstands. I will refer again to McCarthy: 'Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard.' Tomura intends to put everything at risk, this declaration of war exemplified in its ultimate practitioner, a true man in an age of self-deception and untruth. Shigaraki Tomura, I am proud of you."

Master extended a hand and as he did so the cloth cover that had been draped over a large item to his right flew off, revealing what was hiding underneath. Roughly two and a half meters tall and nearly four across, the canvas was set out on a display easel. In Tsubasa's mind, the puzzle finally snapped together, and he understood Master's reason for sending the mercenaries to acquire the painting. It made him sick.

"This piece was made in 1952, pre-quirk, in an era of considerable unrest and tension. The world clamoured for meaning, for truth, and the painter saw all that and laughed." He gestured towards the painting, lines of paint in many colors lashing out over the surface like the angry scars that dotted Master's own flesh. "Pollock titled it Convergence ," he spat, "and it has cost a great deal to acquire it. Tell me, Tomura, what is it you see in this piece?"

"It's a bunch of splatters, pointless. It's ugly." Master laughed fully at that, a warmth seeming to radiate off of him in a way that was reminiscent of the front he used to put up with children whose quirks he would take. Tsubasa's stomach flipped.

"Indeed, it is meaningless. There are those who have attempted to apply some theme to it, some idea about it representing a freedom of expression, but there is no truth to it, no meaning, just oil on canvas. That which exists without meaning, without an ability to be understood, does not deserve to exist. Do you understand?" Shigaraki nodded, a wicked grin splitting his pale face as he reached out to the painting, all five fingers closing around the edge. The decay spread quickly, from the bottom left corner radiating outwards as the piece crumbled into a pile of multicolored dust, some of the pigment somehow surviving the disintegration. Master clapped. "Excellent, excellent my boy. Yes, as a parting gift, a good luck present if you will, I have something for you before your raid. Doctor, if you would give us some privacy?" Tsubsasa, grateful for the dismissal, fled the room quickly.

The doctor tuned the rest of the speech out, finishing his checks on the Nomu with a flash of both pride in his work and disgust at himself. The boy was no anarchist, not really, but what it was that he wanted to truly become was anyone's guess, and was almost definitely unknown even to the boy himself. Master saw some value in him, more as a psychological countermeasure to be used against his enemy than truly as his successor or son, but would that be enough to preserve him from any more of Master's...adjustments? 

Likely not if the way he was speaking now held any indication. Such a drastic change in the space of an afternoon could only have been the result of the kind of alterations that were visited on Tsubasa himself. Which, naturally, implied that Master was well enough to perform his adjustments again, and that this iteration of his would be ending soon. There was little time to dwell on that, however. Tomura was ready.

"With this, the league of villains will announce our presence to the world. We will be a force which will reshape this broken, hateful society into one that requires no symbol of peace, one where no one is cast aside by the small ideas of those that worship heroes! You have your orders, you know your roles. Kurogiri, we are ready, let the operation begin." At his words Tsubasa stepped away, allowing the Nomu to move to Shigaraki's side as the all too familiar hole in the world sprang out in front of them. Humming to himself, Kurogiri spread his mist over the villains, allowing his young charge a moment alone at their target before he took the others. Seconds later, Dr. Tsubasa was alone in the warehouse. He waited, thinking, and then he left.

Chapter 14: Invasion and Declaration

The air in the plaza rippled, every so slightly, and Lynchpin was already chiming a warning in Izuku's ear when the smoke burst forth. It had been going so well, too. After a brief lecture from Thirteen about the danger of quirks, and their use as a tool for helping others, the students had applauded the short astronaut figure and had been led inside. Apparently All Might wouldn't be able to join them until the end of the course owing to an important incident he was resolving, but Izuku reasoned that he had probably overworked himself again. It had been fortunate that Mirio had been able to join them, and Izuku was even more excited to show him the full extent of his costume and what he could do with it. Unfortunately it seemed he might have to.

"Radio communications are currently disabled, as is access to the internet. I am analyzing open arrest warrants and available mugshots from the onboard database; twenty two of the thirty six individuals who have appeared in the plaza are wanted criminals. Additionally, there are visual distortions appearing in every area of this facility of slightly smaller volume than the one already witnessed; an estimate would put the number of enemy combatants present in the low to mid seventies." Izuku's eyes were wide beneath his visor as his helmet tagged the swarm of emerging villains with the information it had available. 

His mouth was dry and he could feel the power feed for his armor heating up quickly. One figure, a slight young man in street clothes and covered in what seemed to be a number of artificial (he hoped) human hands latched onto his face and limbs was speaking to those around him, organizing them it seemed. Lynchpin had no data to offer on him.

"Huddle up, now!" shouted Aizawa, suddenly the most awake any of the students had ever seen him. He was sliding his goggles down as Mirio stepped to his shoulder, a grim smile plastered onto his plain features. Behind them, Thirteen was urging all of the students into as tight a unit as possible as she turned for the exit. Kirishima, a little behind the curve, raised a hand to his eyes and peered down at the mob curiously.

"What's that down there? More robots, like at the exam?"

"Thirteen, evacuate the students. Togata, escort them out then come back to me! Those are villains," he glanced over his shoulder at his students as he spoke, eyes hidden behind the slats of his goggles. "Listen to your teachers and make your way towards the bus, now!" He readied his capture weapon, one hand on the railing as he considered the situation before engaging. "Midoriya, Kaminari, keep trying to contact the school however you can as you evacuate. Chances are there's some kind of interference if the sensors aren't working, but it should become weaker as you get closer to the main campus." Kaminari stammered his affirmative and Aizawa prepared to jump when Izuku's voice gave him pause.

"Sensei, there's thirty-six of them down there, likely more in the rest of the facility; most are small-time crooks but there's no records at all for the big one and the guy next to him. His thermals are all over the place, and Lynchpin says handyman isn't touching anything with all five fingers. I-I don't know anything else...but there's so many and you're a one on one fighter…" Aizawa looked at the kid, and even with the upper portion of his face obscured could see the worry written plain. He let his capture-scarf dip down slightly past his chin and offered his student a rare, genuine smile.

"No good hero is a one trick pony," he said, and launched himself over the railing and down the stairs.

Mirio watched his former teacher hurtle through the air, scarf swirling out around him as if it were alive. A few of the villains looked to be sporting some kind of gun-quirks and moved to attack the man, shouting something about bad intel, but by then Eraserhead was on them. The villains, in their stupor over the erasure of their quirks had been caught off-guard, and that was all time the pro had needed to wrap them up and slam them together with a deceptive strength. A man with a mutation quirk tried his luck, only to be sent down groaning by Eraserhead's quick strikes and sweeps. More of the villains moved to surround him, but he only stood his ground, hair and scarf lifted upwards by some unseen force, and Mirio tore his view away. His teacher would be able to handle those villains until he returned, and currently there were more important things to be worrying over.

Izuku looked halfway between jumping the railing and pulling out one of his notebooks to start writing; even almost fully armored and obscured by his visor as he was, Mirio knew how to read the boy like a well-worn paperback. He was at the back of the group, the others pulling closer to Thirteen and the exit, their own conflict over leaving their teacher behind both evident on their faces, and being vocalized by a few of the more brave souls. Mirio shook his head and grabbed Izuku's elbow, gently pushing him to rejoin the rest of his classmates when he felt the boy whip around towards the front of the group, a warning already rising to his junior's lips. The air in front of Thirteen shimmered, then exploded into the blackness that had covered the plaza, two flaming yellow eyes the only thing distinguishable within the void. Mirio moved in front of Izuku protectively as the apparition began to speak.

"My apologies, but you cannot be allowed to escape just yet. Ah, but where are my manners." The mist condensed into the shape of a man, a metal brace sticking out over what seemed like a human torso clad in formal wear, but whatever else lay beneath the miasma was obscured by the rolling waves of darkness. "We are the League of Villains, and we have come to these halls of learning with one purpose; to kill All Might. We were under the impression that he would be present today as well, but it seems the schedule has been revised." The thing hummed as the mist spread out even further, encircling the students. "My role remains unchanged."

"Who fucking cares!" screamed Bakugo, charging from the group of students with palms sparking. Kirishima was close behind, his arm fortified with his quirk and pressed into sharp, jagged edges. The two moved fast, slamming into the villain's cloud and dissipating it somewhat. "You can't do shit if you're out cold, gas boy!" Bakugo looked pleased with himself while Kirishima kept his guard up. As it was, Thirteen barely had time to shout her warning to the two before the mist exploded outwards again, the villain rumbling in a deep chortle as he ensnared his prey. When it cleared, the two were gone.

"A close call, but that is to be expected of UA students, children though you may be. Begone, scream for help, and die in agony." Suddenly the mist was everywhere, students dodging any way they could, but most were swallowed into the darkness. Mirio had phased through the students and was carrying Iida and Uraraka back out of the line of fire when he looked behind him. Izuku was twisting through the air, dancing past portal after portal, trying to reach a group of his classmates, his mouth etched into a deep frown. He had almost crossed the distance when the horrid mist surrounded him, and he was gone.

Izuku tumbled through the air, the choppy surface of the flood zone's massive body of water dotted with figures that Lynchpin helpfully identified as yet more villains. Plates readjusted themselves all over his armor, some shifting, others receding, and two shooting out from inside his helmet to form a seal against his neck as an oxygen meter appeared on the inside of his visor. He still held his breath when he hit the water, doing what he could to remember how to dive properly. At the speed he was falling, it still hurt a bit.

A warning flashed across his vision for an approaching contact, and despite the notice Izuku still let out a wide eyed shout as the villain approached. Clad in a wetsuit, he was obviously a mutant type, and the way his face split open into a wide maw lined with hundreds of teeth left little room for doubt as to what type of mutation he possessed. If he had been bleeding already, the villain's eyes would have probably been rolled back into his head. As it was, the man speeding towards him was going to be in for a nasty dentist's visit if he tried to pierce Izuku's armor, but he reminded himself that there was still significant danger if he were to aim for his abdomen or thighs. 

Not trusting the repercussions, or rather the concussions, heh, good one Izuku, of using his explosions at a larger concentration underwater in such close proximity, he opted to activate the shock prods in his gauntlets. Thankfully, even that proved unnecessary, as Asui slammed into the man's jaw with both feet. Izuku noted that she moved with just as much ease in the water as she did on land, and figured he would ask her about how she did so if they survived.

Asui's tongue shot out, wrapping around him as she tried and failed to drag him along. His armor was heavy, and she already had what appeared to be the rapidly panicking Mineta cradled under one arm, his face beginning to turn red. Tapping his mask, he tried his best to convey that he would follow, and the girl seemed to get the message. She kicked off in a cloud of bubbles, and he trailed behind, rolling his arms back and letting small, controlled blasts propel him forwards and up, out of the water onto the deck of what seemed to be a large passenger trawler. Checking that there were no immediate threats, he allowed his mask to slide back into its normal configuration, the cool oxygen of his suit's supply replaced with the more humid air of the flood zone.

"Thanks, Asui," he nodded to the girl, who had moved to the rail and was surveying the surrounding waters with a look that said she knew exactly where the villains hidden beneath the surface were. Mineta had recovered his breath, and thanked her profusely before very self-consciously taking a few steps away from the girl and dipping into a small bow. She regarded him curiously for a moment but eventually shrugged and returned her attention to the water.

"Like I said on the bus ride over, call me Tsu. We may be in trouble here." She croaked unhappily, scanning past the shore and into the plaza where they could just about discern some kind of movement. So long as something was happening there, it meant their teacher was probably still fighting. Izuku and Mineta moved to stand beside her.

"This isn't good; they knew the class schedule ahead of time. It's likely they used the press breaking in yesterday as cover for getting hold of that information. This organization has likely been preparing for this strike for some time given the number of combatants they mustered, not to mention they must be confident they have a means of defeating All Might. There's no way they would have attempted a strike like this if they didn't have some sort of weapon, and considering the size and demeanour of the big guy in the square, he might have been augmented somehow. He certainly has a similar stature to All Might, and the one that warped us said they were intending to kill us anyways so presumably-" he was cut off mid ramble by an insistent tugging on his arm, and he glanced down to the frantically pointing form of Mineta. 

"It's a whole school of them," he said, alert but thankfully not panicking. As he spoke more and more heads belonging to the aquatic villains emerged around the boat, the shark mutant seeming to take the lead in shouting threats and taunts at the students. "You've got a plan, right Midoriya? I may not be much good in this kind of fight, but if there's even a chance they could kill All Might, we've got to do something." Izuku looked at Mineta, and found that, like himself, the smaller boy was shaking a bit even while his eyes burned with determination. Asui looked somewhat impressed by the display as well.

"Come on you brats, I'm getting tired of waiting," screeched one of the villains in the water, his visage resembling a cross between a man and an angler fish. One of his arms melted into the water and crashed into the side of the boat, ripping a large gash through the metal and fibreglass hull before receding back into the villain. The entire ship shook as it began to list to the side, the three students grabbing onto the rail. Izuku looked over to the others, his mind racing to come up with a plan while Lynchpin outlined his options in his ear. Settling on a course of action, he cursed when another of the villains began to shout. "It's time to chum the waters!"

"Tsu, I need you to grab Mineta and jump as high as you can when I hit the water. If this doesn't work, grab him and make for the plaza, I'll buy you as much time as I can." She nodded to him as she wrapped Mineta in her extended tongue, readying herself into a crouch even as the other boy began to protest. 

"Midoriya, wait. You've got blasters or something, your stuff's no good in the water and-" Izuku cut him off, flashing a smile he really didn't feel over his shoulder as he mounted the railing. 

"No good hero is a one trick pony," he said as his mask snapped forward once more. He jumped, arms out and the ports on his gauntlets already sliding back. With a large splash, Izuku was in the water, bubbles wreathing him as he sank, and he hoped that Asui was airborne and away from anything conductive. Reaching through his interface he pulled on his gauntlets, and the water around his fists hummed with current. Though insulated, he still felt the voltage as the electricity spread through him. There was no lightning, no electric glow or arcing lines under the surface like Kaminari's quirk would display. The salty, silted water hummed, the villains convulsing around him, thrashing in pain as the area around them became electrified. Feeling his power nearing its limit, Izuku cut off the flow to his shock gauntlets and, wincing with every blast, used small explosions to reach the surface.

His mask snapped open for what was hopefully the last time that day and he took a calming breath as he tried to survey his surroundings. There were bodies bobbing gently to the surface all around him, but they all seemed to be breathing, if unconscious. Turning in the water he looked to the boat, seeing Tsu and Mineta waving at him from the railing, looking none the worse for wear. The same couldn't be said for the trawler however; apparently the electrical current had been enough to ignite something onboard, as there were several small fires and many more scorch marks over the thing. 

Thankfully, they had heeded his warning, and had been away from the electricity at the time of his attack. Wrapping an uncomfortable looking Mineta in her extended tongue, Tsu hopped over the railing and shot over to him, allowing the smaller boy time to throw his orbs onto the unconscious villains as they went.

"They're all washed up, ribbit," she chuckled, "Looks like we beat our first challenge. Let's get to the plaza." She remained as unflappable as ever, and in that moment Izuku was very grateful he had the girl to lean on as she carried them back to the shoreline. One arm slung over her shoulder, he used his free hand to send small blasts downward, doing his best to keep himself afloat and to not weigh his classmate down more than necessary. Behind them, Mineta continued to toss his grapes into the water, and cackled a bit as the boat finally slipped under. Though the trio were far away, the sinking boat displaced enough water to pull the villains and his floating traps together, leaving their assailants trapped in a single mess of purple spheres and awkwardly positioned bodies.

It didn't take long after that for Tsu's powerful kicks and Izuku's limited bursts to get them to the shallows, where all three stood to assess the situation anew.

"Calling for help should be our top priority," Tsu began, tapping a finger against her chin. "If we follow the shoreline and avoid the plaza, we may be able to slip through the exit so long as the mist villain isn't there, ribbit." The three considered the suggestion, before movement in the plaza caught their attention. Their teacher was deftly dodging what remained of the villains, but the time between their attacks was getting shorter and shorter. He was bleeding from one arm, his capture weapon twirling through the air when the large villain was suddenly on top of him. The students watched in horror as their teacher was smashed into the ground, one arm brought up limply behind him in the thing's grasp. The creature, there was no way whatever it was could be human, opened its beak, and screeched.

Mirio grit his teeth behind his smile, fury rising in him as he watched Thirteen, a determined and kind rescue hero who had saved thousands, be ripped apart by her own quirk. The astronaut hero fell to the ground with a horrible limpness, but in that same moment Mirio saw Tensei's younger brother steel his resolve and dash past the mist villain. Just as he was about to reach the heavy doors that separated the USJ from the outside, yet another portal opened in front of the boy, and it was immediately apparent that he wouldn't be able to slow down before he fell into it. 

Darkness surrounded him for a moment, no light or sound or breath to be had as Mirio sank into the ground, the power of One for All already charging up within him. Resolidifying as he angled his body forward, he surged from the ground and landed a hit on the villain's metal brace at lightning speed. The impact, enhanced as it was, was strong enough for the wind pressure to scatter the mist before Iida, giving the boy his chance to make for the doors. 

The villain swore and made to stop him, but Mirio was unrelenting in his assault, phasing through attacks and portals alike as the living mist failed to touch him. Mirio, on the other hand, was landing hit after hit on the thing, sure now that he had found the physical body hidden under the gaseous cover, and after one particularly strong hit he felt the metal give slightly. The villain's eyes widened as he surged backwards, concentration broken by the contact, and Iida was through the doors, engines in full throttle as he ran for the main campus. Another powerful blow from Mirio sent him reeling upwards when a string of strong, sticky tape wrapped itself onto his brace. On the ground below Sero, one of the few who had avoided being teleported, was straining as he brought his tape forward and around, abruptly tossing the mist villain towards the main square and away from the students. 

Moving to put himself between the students and the plaza, Mirio traced the arc of the falling villain and watched him disappear into the swirl of one of his own portals. Taking a moment to survey the scene, his breath caught as he saw the hulking figure screeching triumphantly over the limp form of Aizawa. 

His fists clenched, torn between his duty to evacuate the students and his desire to save the teacher, and he saw the mist villain reemerge next to who he assumed was the leader. For the moment, at least, it seemed the man covered in hands was content to gloat over Eraserhead as he listened to his comrade. Mirio saw him tilt his head, and then he began frantically scratching at his throat in what seemed to be a temper tantrum before abruptly calming.

"All right," Mirio said, not taking his eyes off the situation in the plaza as he spoke to the students. "It seems like the portal villain is distracted, so you should be safe to move outside. You're going to shelter in the bus for now while I try to secure the rest of the students. Do you guys think you can handle that?"

"Ah, senpai, we can help too," came the voice of Uraraka. Mirio gave the students behind him the briefest glance. Sero, it seemed, was trying to use his tape to repair the back of Thirteen's suit while Shoji was scanning their surroundings with his appendages. The others were likewise doing their best, though Mirio could read the palpable fear through the show of determination. "We don't have to fight, or anything" she continued, a bit of a wobble in her voice, "but we can help the others if they can't move. And we can't just leave Thirteen-sensei!" Mirio was about to respond when a flash of movement in the plaza caught his eye. When he saw the monster holding Izuku, the boy's metal gauntlet shattering under its grip as if it were made of glass, he bounded down the stairs as fast as he could, dropping through the ground as he reached the landing.

"So it seems we won't be getting to kill All Might today after all," spat the leader, scratching at his throat before seeming to regain his composure as he straightened up. "You can leave the rest of the trash Kurogiri, we won't be needing them anymore. Now, let's see. Ah," he suddenly whirled towards Izuku's group, a near glowing red eye peeking out from the hand secured over the man's face. "Let's wound his pride by leaving some dead students for him to find!" 

The villain was in front of them so quickly, Izuku could have blinked and missed him. One hand reaching out, Izuku recalled Lynchpin's warning about the points of contact as the villain grabbed a petrified Tsu's face, only for nothing to happen. With a sound that might have been a chuckle, he looked over his shoulder. 

"You really are pretty cool, Eraserhead."

Izuku followed the man's gaze to the plaza where Aizawa, against all odds, was straining against the monster's hold, head raised up and quirk activated just in time to save his student. His entire face was bloody, teeth set in grim determination as gave his all for just one more second. The creature slammed him down with a sickening crack, and Izuku knew that even if he wasn't dead, his teacher wouldn't be getting back up. The realization was enough of a jolt to remind him of their situation, the villain still poised to kill him and his friends in an instant, and he felt the power flare in his gauntlet. No, no, no, no, no , he screamed in his mind, cocking back one arm and only vaguely aware of Lynchpin activating the kinetic strike module in his gauntlet.

"Don't you dare touch them!" screamed Izuku, fist wreathed in barely contained energy as it shot forward, aimed directly at the unmoving villain. The flash of steam and arcing electricity as it made contact was blinding, pain traveling up his arm even as the shock absorbers and braces did their best to cushion the impact for him. He grimaced, but as the steam began to dissipate completely his features dropped into a look of confused horror. In front of him, unmoving, was the creature, untouched by a technology that he had broken concrete with in testing. 

"A decent effort, but ultimately futile against Nomu. He's been engineered to kill All Might himself; a brat like you won't be able to lay a scratch on him. But, since you're so desperate to save your friends," the leader's exposed eye danced with mirth as he stood back from the pair of terrified students. "Nomu, break it." Izuku's eyes widened as the monster snapped out an arm, wrapping fingers like iron over his gauntlet and letting out another screech as it squeezed . The armor he had dreamt up and built with so much help from Mei and the Shield family buckled, struts giving out first and sinking into his arm as the underlining tore, the plating on his forearm cracking in a spiderweb pattern before it splintered into a cloud of black metal and blood. 

Izuku screamed, and felt his vision darken as the pain finally reached him, wracking his body in waves as Nomu's grip tightened. All of a sudden, the ground around them cracked, and Izuku felt the creature's grip release as he was pulled away by a familiar presence, Tsu and Mineta cradled next to him.

"I've got you Izuku, I've got you," said Mirio, gently lowering the three students to the ground near their fallen teacher. Blearily, Izuku noted the unconscious bodies of the remaining villains scattered about, before looking back down the plaza and seeing the trio of three heavy hitters still standing. "Asui, Mineta, can the two of you together carry Aizawa-sensei to the exit with the rest of the students?" Mirio had placed himself once more between the villains and the students, his posture tense as he evaluated the threats. The two shouted their affirmative, and he spoke to Izuku, not turning around. "Izuku, can you walk? I need you to follow your friends to the exit, okay?" Through the pain, Izuku struggled to his feet, and noticed that his visor was cracked. Yanking the helmet off and tossing it to the ground with his left arm he winced at the mangled mess of his right. 

"I-I can make it Mirio, b-but listen to me. The big one, he called it Nomu, it took a direct hit from my strike module like it was nothing. The leader, h-he said it was engineered to kill All Might." Izuku felt what was left of his armor begin to draw on his energy reserves again, the still functional gauntlet on his left beginning to hum with power as small crackles blasted in his palm. He grit his teeth then, trying his best to force a smile through the pain like Mirio or All Might. He took a step forward. "You'll need help if it's three on one." The older boy was about to respond when an enormous boomresounded from behind them. Mineta, his voice watery, was the first to speak.

"It's All Might...we're saved!" Tsu ribbited beside him, and the shouts of the students at the top of the stairs were barely any warning as All Might appeared in front of them, wind whipping up with the force of his movements. His normally jovial countenance was turned out in a snarl, and he ripped his tie off before he recomposed himself. He laid a hand on Mirio's shoulder.

"All of you, to the entrance. Young Togata, I know what you're thinking, but this isn't your fight, not yet." He turned to them all, pushing Mirio back to the rest of the students as he flashed a peace sign over one eye. Izuku did his best to relay what he had said to Mirio, but All Might cut him off. "Midoriya, my boy. Fear not!" With that, All Might was off, another shockwave left in his wake as he charged into combat with Nomu. Mirio was next to Izuku a moment later, slipping the boy's left arm over his shoulder as he and the others made for the stairs, shooting worried looks back at All Might as they went.

Toshinori was the angriest he could recall since his battle with All for One. His students, trusting, bright young souls that were left in his care were in danger; Young Midoriya had been injured quite critically if the blood soaking his arm was any indication. His successor had been holding the tide, but against the Nomu creature, Toshinori knew the boy didn't have enough experience yet to emerge victorious. Better to send him back with the first years than risk him in battle against something that had apparently been designed to kill Toshinori himself. Smiling through the pain, he felt his side ache and his time limit approach. He stepped forward, the creature matching him, and he leapt.

Charging to meet the monster, Toshinori brought his arms up across his chest, aiming a Carolina Smash at the apparent leader, only to find his attack intercepted by Nomu. True to Izuku's word, his attack seemed to be absorbed by the beast. Following up with a devastating punch to the thing's stomach and two more jabs to its awful beak, he was forced backwards by the creature's own lunge, its massive fist managing to close around a few of the hairs from his head as he ducked the blow. Grinning, he shot behind it, grasping it in a suplex as he drove it deep into the ground kicking up a massive cloud of dust as he did so.

Toshinori spat up blood as something dug its fist right into his wound, points of intense pressure digging into his weakened side and staining his shirt a deep red. Gritting his teeth, he shot his head back, and caught sight of the creature's abdomen and legs still in his grasp cut off at the waist by a dark black portal. Looking down, he saw another portal opened just behind his feet, the top half of the creature rising out and sinking its fingers into his flesh. 

"So you thought to immobilize Nomu by driving him into the ground. Too bad for you he's just as strong as you are." The leader was speaking, looking at him dispassionately for all his earlier fury, calm and assured in his seeming victory. Toshinori had seen that look far too many times in his years as All Might to take it as anything other than a sign of overconfidence, but even he had to admit this was a tricky situation. "Well done Kurogiri, your timing couldn't have been better."

"Thank you, Tomura Shigaraki," intoned Kurogiri, bowing his smoky head. "Though I cannot say I relish the mess that viscera leaves within my gates, I will happily make an exception for the symbol of peace." Toshinori felt Nomu try to drag him deeper down into the portal, and watched as the gates themselves began to shrink in diameter. "Even if it cuts Nomu in half, it'll regenerate. You, on the other hand..." 

"That's it," crooned Shigaraki, "we met our win condition. Goodbye, All Might, die for the sake of a better future." He cackled as Toshinori was brought closer and closer to the portal, only stopping at the sound of a mad rush of unsteady footfalls and desperate shouts from Togata to stop.

Izuku stopped and looked back when the dust cloud erupted behind them, eyes wide as the picture in front of him became clear. All Might, bent backwards, with Nomu's fingers dug into the wound, his weakness, seeping blood. No, he thought, mind racing for something he could do. It's only me, I'm the only one here that knows his secret. I can't let this happen, I won't! Once again, his feet moved before he could think, and Izuku was rushing headlong towards the captured pro, one arm flailing uselessly behind him and the other starting to crackle with as much energy as he could muster, the warning shout of Mirio close behind him. He was almost in striking range when a warp gate opened in front of him, and with wide eyes he realized he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Clear the line, Deku!" Bakugo appeared as if from nowhere, his own grenade gauntlet unloading its payload on the villain Kurogiri and knocking him to the ground. His concentration broken, the mist in front of Izuku vanished just as Mirio shot out of the ground and yanked him back. "Don't you dare think about getting beat by these guys, nerd! And you, make any moves and I blast this little brace of yours to kingdom come!" Bakugo had landed on top of the villain, one hand smoking with intent and positioned over the man's metal neck. There was a mad look in his eyes, and Izuku realized the threat wasn't empty.

He was snapped out of his thinking as ice shot forward, creeping up Nomu's right side with the horrible crackling sound of living fresh being flash-frozen. Blessedly, the frost didn't travel up the monster's arm to All Might, and as Todoroki stepped forward to join the battle the crimson figure of Kirishima made an empowered swipe at the leader, Shigaraki, as Kurogiri had called him. The man's unnatural speed from before was still in play however, and Kishima ended up standing next to the other three students looking grim even as All Might loosened Nomu's grip and broke free.

"Nomu, retrieve Kurogiri for me," said Shigaraki, clasping his hands in front of him. Nomu sank through the portal, shrieking a little as it righted itself, its frozen limbs shattering and leaving behind a mess of gore. The wounds pulsed angrily as blood red tissue shot out, banding together and reforming its damaged tissue before it was fully regenerated in a matter of moments. The creature moved, faster than the students could see, but just as the impact of its fist kicked up a storm of rock and dust where Bakugo had been a moment before, Mirio appeared at their side with the student in tow. His friend looked stunned at the movement, and Izuku moved to stand beside him as Mirio walked forward to stand side by side with All Might. 

"Six on three, and with us supporting All Might we can beat them back!" shouted Kirishima, fists clenched in anticipation. Their teacher however was having none of it, and once more threw out a hand to stop them.

"Not happening boys, now all of you get out of here!" Todoroki scoffed at that.

"Things would have gone much worse if I hadn't stepped in just then." He brought an arm up, readying himself to send more waves of ice against the villains. Izuku paled at the sudden drop in temperature and leaned against Bakugo as his arm twinged painfully.

"Young Togata, Young Midoriya, I'm sure you're both aware of the limits of even a hero like me," chortled All Might, bringing his fists forward and hissing steam through his teeth. Izuku's eyes went even wider. Mirio knows about his time limit?He glanced at the older boy, and saw the look of worry cross his plain face. "But this is an excellent teaching opportunity for all of you! It's going to be fine, so sit back and watch a real pro at work! This is what it is to go beyond, Plus Ultra style!" With that, he charged, meeting the loping strides of Nomu head on in a clash of fists that sent out shockwaves so strong everyone, students and villains alike, was thrown back. 

Toshinori had faced much worse than the creature he was trading blows with, though watching as it shattered its own limbs only to regrow them in a matter of moments was disconcertingly familiar. The fact that the monster had multiple quirks seemed to point to his old enemy's involvement in the attack, and likely he was the mastermind behind it all. 

With the first strike he had met Nomu fist to fist, the shockwave sending the students clear of any immediate danger even as Young Togata looked ready to phase in to help him. Shaking his head, Toshinori resolved that he wouldn't allow any more of his charges to come to harm. Three more blows to the monster were met by its fist, each intercepted in an explosion of raw power. He felt the familiar ember of One for All burning bright, and with it, he increased his speed.

"Hey, hey, the little brat already told you he has shock absorption, just what do you think you'll accomplish here?" Shigaraki sneered over the roaring winds, sliding backwards as another shockwave brought Kurogiri to his side.

"Indeed he did," replied Toshinori, feeling a surge of pride for Young Midoriya. The blows were coming even faster now, his and Nomu's arms lost to everyone but them in a blur of motion, impact after impact striking true or blocked away. "But if his quirk is shock absorption and not nullification, then that means there's an upper limit to his resistance."

 Nomu struck his wound again, monstrous strength agitating the already torn flesh of his side. The wound sent Toshinori reeling back for a moment, blood flying involuntarily from his mouth before he regained control of himself, throwing his all into driving the monster back. He fought for every inch, his own powerful strides coming against painful resistance as he gained ground, the battle throwing up chunks of earth and even entire trees as he went.

"You made him in order to fight me? If you made this creature to withstand me with everything I have, then I simply need to go beyond that!" Another swing broke through the flurry of blows, sending Nomu flying backwards. Toshinori leapt forward, ground buckling under his leap as the creature recovered midair, dropping onto all fours as it bounded towards him, beak open in another wordless cry. "A hero," he cried as they met midair, Toshinori blocking another strike from Nomu as the ground crumpled beneath them. He righted himself and drove a kick with both feet straight for its head, only for the monster to slip back behind him and leap into the air once more. "A hero can always find his way out of trouble!"

He met Nomu in the air, his own arms intercepting and wrapping around a grab from the creature. He spun, whirling the monster around himself as he released at the last moment, sending the beast tumbling into the ground with a force that cracked nearly the entire plaza. Just as it began to bounce back into the air from the crater, Toshinori slammed down in front of it, smiling in the way that Nana had taught him so many years ago. 

"Tell me villains, do you know the meaning of the words I said to my students just a while ago?" He reared back, the shining light of One for All burning in his chest and coursing down his arm as he poured his strength into one mighty blow. "Go beyond! Plus Ultra!" His fist connected, a glow of burning energy shining through the flesh of the monster, the final strike sending it up and through the dome of the USJ, the lights ringing the interior shattering in another explosion as the creature disappeared into the sky. 

"Heh, in my heyday five punches would have been enough to fell a beast like that. Today, it took over three hundred mighty blows." He turned to Shigaraki, steam rising from his shoulders. Shit, my time is up, better fake it till I make it then."Well villain, shall we finish this?"

Mirio was worried, but thankfully his years of training and his experience with Sir were keeping him calm in the face of the danger. All Might was out of time, he knew, and Izuku would have been aware of that fact too. If the look on his junior's face was any indication, he was about to do something rash, and Mirio wasn't quite sure he wouldn't be joining him. The other students at least seemed to be listening to All Might's warning, backing up towards the stairs with expressions of awe on their faces.

"Well, are you coming to get me?" It was a bluff, easily apparent from the way that All Might wasn't making any move through the smoke, but it seemed for the moment that it was going to work. Shigaraki started scratching wildly at his neck, drawing blood in a dozen places as shallow cuts were ripped open over his pale flesh. "If you think you can take me, then bring it on! What's keeping you?" The house of cards collapsed a moment later when Kurogiri interjected.

"Tomura Shigaraki, I believe that the Nomu did significant damage to him. All but two of the children have begun to retreat, and even at the most generous pace, enemy reinforcements are likely still minutes away." Kurogiri's smoke flared, and the glow that was his eyes brightened in intensity. "With the two of us together, I will be able to immobilize him while your decay will make short work of him." The scratching abruptly stopped.

"Right, yes, of course, this has given us some valuable information. He really has gotten weaker. Kurogiri, let's go. This is revenge for my Nomu!" The pair of villains surged forward, Kurogiri opening a gate directly in front of All Might, and Mirio saw the future flash before his eyes. His teacher, dead, collapsing into a pile of ash rather than moving aside and revealing his secret. 

Unspoken, he made his decision, praying that he would forgive himself afterwards. Beside him, Izuku seemed to reach the same conclusion, and instead of moving to stop the boy he found himself grateful for the help. With One for All surging through him, limited as it was, he dropped into the void, all suffocating darkness as he angled himself for maximum effect. He swam through the earth, emerging with his fist cocked to the right of Shigaraki. Izuku, energy blasting from the ports on his shoulders, was flanking Kurogiri, left arm ready to strike at the same time as Mirio. They had practiced this move during their training on the beach, for the day that his young friend would become a hero alongside him, though the boy had never been able to match his speed before now. 

"DOUBLE!" he roared. White lightning flowed up and down his arm as he felt the surge, almost overwhelming him even at 5% of his power.

"STRIKE!" Izuku answered, the lights on his chest armor almost completely extinguished even as the ports in his left gauntlet glowed brighter and brighter. 

"POWER!" they screamed in unison, punches landing in tandem and knocking the villains together with a crash of limbs, halting their charge towards All Might with the blow. It wasn't quite enough however, as Shigaraki reached across himself and sunk his hand into a warp gate, the pale digits emerging behind Izuku and clamping down on his remaining gauntlet. Mirio moved to intercept, but was himself blocked by Kurogiri's own counterattack. 

Distantly, he saw Izuku's gauntlet crumble to dust as the fingers found purchase on his arm. He screamed, and Mirio dropped into the ground, emerging a moment later and pulling the boy into his own hold as they barreled away from the villains. Collapsing to the floor, he placed himself over Izuku, ready to block Shigaraki as he drew closer. Izuku tried to struggle against him, eyes wide in terror as he tried to throw Mirio off of him, but he was simply stronger than the boy, even without One for All. He smiled down at his friend, ready for the pain to come.

The disintegrating touch never arrived. Instead, shot after shot rang out, and when Mirio glanced back, he found Shigaraki stumbling backwards, clutching a bleeding hand and cursing. At the entrance to the USJ the teachers from every department were assembled in force, an out of breath Iida at the forefront of the group shouting their arrival. Snipe rained bullets onto the villains, his gun smoking as Kurogiri expanded his mist in front of his master, slowly shrinking in on himself as they teleported away.

"You won't get away," came the weak voice of Thirteen, the hero splayed out over the stairs with the impromptu repairs to her costume already beginning to rip. Her finger caps sprang open, and Kurogiri's mist immediately began to dissipate as it was drawn into the black hole. He shrunk faster, leaving only Shigaraki's angry red glare peeking out through the dark vortex.

"Today's failure changes nothing, Symbol of Peace," he spat, his quiet words somehow carrying over the noise. "The next time we meet, you will fall, and this false society you've built up with you." The mist receded on itself completely, a few wisps of black smoke fading into nothing as the portal closed. All Might regarded Mirio and Izuku with a shrinking, bloody smile. Izuku was in tears, and Mirio made to comfort the boy when he heard him descend into a word storm of self-blame. All Might beat him to it, however.

"Young Midoriya, Young Togata, please, do not fret. If you two had not given me those few extra seconds, I'd be dead now. Midoriya, my boy, you've saved me again, and Togata, I couldn't be more proud of you right now." Vaguely, Mirio was aware of the shouts of one of the students, Kirishima he thought, drawing near. He couldn't particularly care at the moment however, as he moved over and scooped the shivering Izuku into his arms as he sat down next to All Might, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. 

His teacher had collapsed to the ground in his emaciated form, a ghost of a laugh passing through his lips as he looked fondly at the two boys. A wall sprang up behind them, probably to prevent the other students from catching sight of All Might, but Mirio was more inclined to use it as a surface to lean on. It was over, and it seemed everyone had survived. In his gentle grip, Izuku fell unconscious.