—All Might, Tetsumaru-Kun has located the villains' second hideout— Nezu's voice crackled through the aircraft's communicator.
Yagi, still in his thin, skeletal form to conserve energy, stood up with his baggy suit filling out as his body became large and muscular, brimming with the last embers of One For All.
—What about Hawks?— Edgeshot asked with a serious tone. Around him, Gran Torino and Best Jeanist prepared in their seats with equally serious expressions. They would form the first assault group, given the circumstances.
They were currently flying in a stealthy and fast aircraft, owned by UA and loaned out by Nezu. They departed a couple of minutes after Hawks, and their mission was to assault the known bases.
They would be the first to arrive and would split into two groups, leaving All Might the task of rescuing Sero Hanta and Pixie-Bob, while Gran Torino, Best Jeanist, and Edgeshot would go to assist Hawks, who hadn't been heard from again once he entered the building where Ragdoll was tracked by Tetsumaru.
—No signs. Power Loader is heading to his location, but it doesn't seem like anything strange is happening there. No disturbances, no signs of combat. There is simply nothing— Nezu reported.
—Then we'd better move quickly— All Might said, walking firmly toward the hatch.
The wind howled wildly as the Hero opened the hatch, giving a meaningful look to Gran Torino before jumping without fear, allowing himself to be pulled down by gravity.
He was close enough, and he was much faster on the ground than that aircraft. And above all, he couldn't shake off a bad feeling about this situation.
All Might remembered the flood of messages and calls that his successor, Midoriya Izuku, had so insistently left. He didn't have the disposition or the mind to deal with the boy, so he ignored all his attempts at communication.
—We will talk when this is over— he had told him in the one call he accepted before hanging up. Midoriya didn't write to him again after that, which made All Might feel like a terrible guide.
He was already a bad Sensei, he was becoming a burden as a Hero, and now he was failing his successor too.
Would this debacle never end? Had his time definitely passed?
His career, his actions, his legacy. The Symbol of Peace had to come to an end, whether he liked it or not. He thought he had made peace with that fact, but feeling so powerless with this whole series of events made him realize he hadn't. He didn't like being useless, being weak.
His muscles tensed, energy bathed his body, and he rushed to the ground like a blur of colors.
His legs absorbed the impact, the ground cracked, and an explosion of dust and rock fragments marked the Hero's exit, his figure blurring due to the high speed, the air violently displaced in his wake, huge jumps throwing him hundreds of meters in a brief respite.
The embers of One For All burned intensely, as did the determination of its wielder. His gaze swept over the city he was jumping over, the location where Hawks and Ragdoll should be, the smoke and battle signs barely visible from the area where his other student confronted a group of Nomus on his own.
So many dangers, so many targets, so many people needing his strength. All Might wished he could be everywhere, helping everyone. He could have done it in the past, but now it was impossible. He was limited.
With clenched teeth and the embers burning even more intensely than before, he took another long stride that led him to crash into the base identified by Tetsumaru.
There were no jokes, no recognition. He didn't utter his characteristic phrase, nor did he take caution, as he doubted they would keep the young Sero and Pixie-Bob right next to the first wall he encountered.
His fist sank into the wall, passing through it without difficulty and sending a shockwave throughout the facility, alerting everyone in the vicinity of his presence.
With silent determination, the Symbol of Peace stepped into the Villains' lair.
—Motherfucker, He´s Her—
A Villain in a full-body suit shrieked, but was quickly silenced by All Might's punch to his stomach, sending him to the dream world. Or so the Hero hoped.
His blazing eyes looked with a touch of surprise as the villain turned into a muddy mass. This was the one who multiplied and imitated.
—Don't break the bottles!— a figure nearly as tall as All Might, and much larger, lunged. His skin gleamed as if he had just come out of an intense workout, his enormous belly swaying with every movement.
The Hero paid him no attention, easily dodging his crude fist and delivering a powerful kick to his leg, knocking him down with disdainful ease.
All Might was about to move past the fat Villain, but he shot a wave of liquid in his direction.
At that instant, a third villain appeared from another room, his appearance terribly emaciated and his disconcerting smile twisting his already ugly features. Dabi snorted in amusement and threw a torrent of blue flames.
The fire used the oil, and a conflagration erupted in the League's small bar. All Might didn't panic.
An instant before the flames reached him, he retracted his fist and amassed power, releasing it suddenly with a quick motion.
The oil, the flames, and the villains were pushed backward, with Dabi and another Twice going through several walls, accidentally entering the room where Sero and Himiko were fighting to take each other's life.
All Might charged at the Villains with the intention of finishing off the multiplier, but his attention was quickly caught by the figure of his student.
Sero's condition was terrible. Ragged clothes, stained with blood and sweat. Blood gushing from his leg, cuts on his arms and face. A twisted arm remained cradled against his chest, while his other hand tried to shove a knife into a girl's throat.
—Twice, help me!— she cried out in desperation, her words making All Might recognize the scene unfolding. Sero was trying to kill someone.
—Sero, my boy!— the man called out with a horrified expression. His will faltered for an instant, his determination shaken.
Was this the result of his inaction? Of his mediocre guidance to the new generation? Was this the legacy he would leave the world after his departure?
That instant of uncertainty and doubt prevented All Might from jumping in time. By the time he came to his senses, Sero made his final push and the girl couldn't bear it.
—Stop, Sero Hanta!— the Hero exclaimed, using his incredible speed to try to save his student from making a mistake he would later regret.
But the tip of the blade was already in contact with Toga Himiko's skin.
Time slowed down in All Might's eyes. He saw the edge penetrate the skin and flesh, going into the girl's throat. He saw her expression contort in surprise, letting out a choked gasp.
He saw the blood flowing from the opening, Sero's hand trembling and loosening, and a hint of a smile decorating the corner of his lips.
In a blink, All Might appeared next to the children, his hand sliding in a horizontal spear-like motion, precisely slicing the blade and taking Sero in his iron grip with the other hand.
He pulled the young student upward, preventing further damage. The remaining blade was left in Himiko's throat, barely a couple of centimeters, but it still made breathing difficult for her and would end up killing her if she wasn't taken for treatment soon.
—All Might!— someone exclaimed from the side, jumping toward the Hero with outstretched fingers, trying to touch him.
All Might recognized Shigaraki Tomura and quickly stepped aside, avoiding his deadly touch on himself or the passed-out Sero.
He hoisted the boy onto his shoulder as he retreated, his mind now debating the options presented to him: Secure the hostage first, search for the other hostage while carrying Sero, or take the girl to a hospital along with Sero, abandoning Pixie-Bob for now.
—Kill him— Shigaraki said with a chilling voice. At his signal, a few low-grade Nomu burst through the walls and leaped at the Hero, while the other Villains made their appearance.
—Shigaraki Tomura!— All Might called out, getting rid of a couple of monsters with a devastating punch. —Your companion there needs immediate attention! Do you plan to just let her die!?— He pointed at Himiko, who was gasping for air on the floor, her eyes wide as she reached out toward Shigaraki.
—So what?— the Villain replied with a flat tone, devoid of all emotion.
His words caused a couple of villains to turn toward him with complicated expressions.
—Is this how the League of Villains acts!? Do you discard those who sacrifice everything for your cause!? Is that the kind of organization you want to belong to!?— All Might hissed with disgust, addressing those whose reactions were notably conflicted.
Among them, Spinner was the most affected. He had already begun to doubt after learning of the death of the UA students, students whom he had not judged and did not know whether they were worthy of being Heroes or not.
—Toga betrayed us— Shigaraki shrugged, taking his comrades by surprise, including Toga Himiko herself, who couldn't speak to defend herself.
—What do you mean, Shigaraki!?— Spinner questioned with a growl. He didn't understand what was happening.
Shigaraki kept his guard up, circling the Symbol of Peace like a predator while explaining to his clueless colleagues.
—Think about it: Terumi Tetsumaru flew over the city to track us somehow, finding the PussyCat Ragdoll quickly. But after that, he came directly to this area without monitoring the rest, landing right above Toga and the UA brat.
What other explanation is there, apart from Toga Himiko's betrayal? It's too much of a coincidence that he seemed to use the same methods with which he located Ragdoll, and I doubt he could find the hostage without having prepared something beforehand, probably that sand of his— the Villain detailed with a calm voice, as if everything was clear to him.
All Might decided he had heard enough. Villain or not, he would not allow a girl to die before his eyes due to inaction.
If the Villains weren't going to take care of their own comrade, then he would. Even if it meant abandoning Pixie-Bob, whose location he still didn't know.