Chapter Text
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This was his destiny.
The image had been burning in his mind for many years.
“I’m leaving the rest to you.”
The ruined city around him. A red sky. Black bolts of lightning. Purple light highlighting Nana as she said her final goodbye to Toshinori.
“I’m counting on you.”
Toshinori’s hand reaching out, tearfully screaming, “MASTER!” And then Gran Torino’s whole body hit him in the gut as they zoomed away from the scene. But, the physical pain was nothing compared to the real pain he was feeling right then.
“All Might.”
Toshinori shouted over and over for her, but he was not strong enough to force his teacher off him. Why? Why couldn’t he have been strong enough to?
Nana Shimura gave up everything for Toshinori to live and fulfill his dream of becoming a Symbol of Peace. She was a true hero, through and through. He even thought of her as his own mother.
So, for years and years, Toshinori put everything into training One for All, preparing for the day that he would confront All for One and defeat him once and for all.
And, now was the moment he would do so.
It was All Might, all alone, against All for One.
The Symbol of Peace was heaving, trying to ignore the physical pain All for One had inflicted on him. He felt like his stomach could explode at any moment, desperately trying to get out of him.
But, still, All Might fought with everything he had.
All for One floated right above him. The villain had the audacity to smile in spite of all of All Might’s damage.
“I must say...” the villain drawled. “You’ve been entertaining so far.”
“It’s over.” All Might declared. “Your reign of Japan will end today.”
“Ah, yes. Japan will sleep safely tonight...” All for One glanced left and right. “From the threat most of them don’t even know truly exists. I’m sure that’s why there are no cameras or witnesses to this little showdown of ours.”
The blonde snarled, “The world should never know evil like yours exist.”
“Oh, really? And, what would the world think if they saw you right now?”
“They...” All Might paused before smiling just like Nana would. “They would know that I’ll always be here to protect them!”
All Might launched forward, fist drawn, but All for One flicked his wrist. A sudden gust of wind pressure blew right into the hero, sending him crumbling through the ground.
“Really? I’m sure Nana Shimura said the same thing.”
Fear gripped All Might's heart as he looked back at the villain, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. The hero pulled himself up to his feet, confronting the villain once again. “You don’t get to speak of her!”
“Oh, wait, I never heard her say that” All for One said, ignoring All Might’s command. “The last sounds she made were a pathetic cry. It was far more than entertaining for me. A good bit of comed-”
That was the last thing All for One said before All Might leapt faster than the villain thought was possible.
SMASH!
His right fist drove a punch right to All for One’s face that no one could have ever seen coming. The strength behind it, fueled by the power of One for All, obliterated the villain’s head entirely, spewing blood out at a high speed.
All for One’s arms fell limp as his body fell, sprawled along the ground.
THUD!
All Might dropped straight down, landing into a stumble. He felt like his insides were completely done and they were about to be thrown up. But, he did it.
“Nana... it’s over. I avenged you...”
The Symbol of Peace turned away from the gruesome scene. There was more work to be done before he could fully rest. But, it was over. One for All’s purpose, Toshinori’s duty, it was all over...
“MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!”
All Might spun around, looking right up. The sight that awaited him was more than he could bear.
It was All for One alive and well! How was that even possible?!
Toshinori leapt forward and threw a punch, but – Wait! He wasn’t All Might anymore!
He fell to the ground, practically being buried in the dirt underneath him. He looked down to see his skeletal body, his frail and bony limbs. His costume sagging all over him.
How?! How was this possible?!
The blonde looked up. Littering the ground like common trash, there were the corpses of everyone he knew. Police officers, detectives, pro heroes, teachers, students...
Toshinori stumbled back, freezing from the sight of it all.
There was no more power in him! No Quirk! No One for All!
What was happening?!
“Where’s that smile of yours?” All for One was suddenly right over him. Toshinori couldn’t move. He was powerless. He was worthless to do anything now! “You feel that despair now? How futile your fight had been. I’m still alive. You failed everyone.”
It’s true. He failed Nana. He couldn’t avenge her. He couldn’t save anyone anymore...
“If it’s any consolation, there is something that came as a result of your actions...”
All for One laughed, summoning something from behind and showing it for the world to see.
Toshinori shook his head, backing away from it, “No. No. No!”
In All for One’s hands, there was a small wooden plaque. And, Fumikage Tokoyami’s severed head was fixed to the center of it.
“I have a lovely decoration to look at,” All for One laughed, throwing his head back.
“NO!”
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Toshinori Yagi suddenly yelled out, waking up in a cold sweat. He choked back his sobs as he gripped his blanket, reminding him of where he was.
The battle with All for One happened a long time ago. Everything that happened after Toshinori delivered his smash didn’t happen like that.
He was a teacher at UA. He was essentially Quirkless again after the Kamino incident. But, he already entrusted One for All to Fumikage Tokoyami, a student who he knew had accomplished great things with One for All already. Despite his penchant for darkness, Young Tokoyami was kind and gentle and had learned to use the Quirk far better than he ever did, manifesting it into Holy One, the mirror opposite of Tokoyami’s original Quirk, Dark Shadow.
All for One was in Tartarus now. He was locked up in Japan’s most advanced prison complex. Toshinori had visited him shortly after to make sure any doubts he had were unfounded. The villain wasn’t going to ever escape.
Young Tokoyami, all of his students, everyone would be safe from him.
Nothing would happen...
Toshinori threw his blanket away, getting up from his bed. This was just another nightmare among countless lately that he had to deal with. And, he knew that there was no way he was going to go to sleep any time soon.
He didn’t even bother looking at his phone to see the time before he changed out of his pajamas and got into some running clothes.
The retired hero quietly left the teacher’s dorm. Again, Toshinori didn’t know the actual time, but knew that it was dreadfully early based on the dark sky with only a flicker of light on the horizon. The air was cool and damp which worked out for Toshinori because it helped him breathe as he jogged along the path for the dorms.
It’s quiet. A relaxing time for Toshinori to get his thoughts together needed for the school day. Though, there were some that he just couldn’t shake off.
“Running away... Is that all I can really do now?”
When Toshinori reached a spot close to Class 1-A's dorms, he stopped. Blue eyes started to drift up from the entrance toward the floor where his successor was sleeping.
A small part of him wanted to go into the dorm and check in on Young Tokoyami, but he knew that it wasn’t the best thing to do.
“I’m starting to think like an overprotective mother...” Toshinori sighed, shaking his head. “Besides, I know that Young Tokoyami really prefers his beauty sleep.”
The young raven called it his time of dwelling, but both Toshinori and Dark Shadow knew what it was. Besides, ever since Toshinori got Tokoyami permission to sleep in a coffin (long story there), he knew that Tokoyami absolutely loved it, despite not saying a word.
Eventually, Toshinori finished his rounds of the campus and started to head back to the teacher dorms, waving hello to Vlad King on patrol and then to Power Loader when passing through.
“Huh. I must have missed an update with the patrol schedule. Didn’t know that we were doubling up again.”
Of course, the doubling up on patrols was only when Toshinori had volunteered to patrol. His colleagues had all tried to hide it through jokes and banter, but Toshinori knew the reason why. They didn’t want him to be alone if something actually dangerous happened...
Soon enough, Toshinori was inside of the dorms, making a stop at his bedroom for his toothbrush, towel and other toiletries. He’d be earlier than most of his other teachers, with the sole exception of Aizawa who seemingly never sleeps, but, he should do this fast to let the other teacher-
“Okay, that grab was good, but you gotta extend a little more with your kicks.”
A pause. “Like this?”
“Yep. It’s all about technique.”
Toshinori hadn’t meant to overhear, but he did. He glanced toward the door on his left, toward the spare room of their dormitories.
“This is Shirakumo’s room, I believe.”
Oboro Shirakumo. The newest teacher’s assistant for the staff. But, he was also the teenager that tragically died during his work study and resurrected by All for One to become Kurogiri, the loyal servant to him and Tenko Shimura AKA Tomura Shigaraki.
More people that All Might wasn’t able to help...
The only reason that Shirakumo was here now was because Young Midoriya somehow figured out the man’s identity ahead of time and discovered technology that was able to reverse the brainwashing done on Shirakumo and bring his original personality back.
Now, Shirakumo had the Warp Gate Quirk instead of his original Cloud Quirk. But, the police and officials have already placed a collar to nullify the Quirk and essentially keep him on house arrest on campus.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s the best they could do at the moment.
Toshinori knocked on the door. “Hello, Shirakumo. Is someone in there with you?”
“Ack!”
The blonde tilted his head curiously. He knew that part of Shirakumo’s arrangement at UA was that he wasn’t allowed to be alone with any of the UA students without supervision. But, Toshinori believed he heard a teenager’s voice in there so...
“Hey, All Might! What’s up?”
Shirakumo’s door opened fully, letting Toshinori see the room completely. Even though it looked messy, pillows and blankets strewn about, there was no sign of anyone else from what he could see.
“Well, I heard you were awake and wanted to greet you,” the teacher said. “Are you usually up this early?”
The head covered in blue fog scoffed waved that off, leaning on the doorframe, “Pfft! Yeah, totally! I’m almost always awake. Where did you think Shota got his whole sleeping thing from? Man, I could beat him in sleep... in my sleep!”
Toshinori hummed, trying to process that answer. He decided to answer his other question instead.
“I thought I heard someone’s voice in here.”
“Uh...” Shirakumo stammered before he could smile mockingly. “Yeah, you like it? I’ve been thinking of entertaining the students and breaking the ice a bit more by doing impressions of them.”
The skeleton echoed, “Impressions?”
“Yeah, you want to see them? Here’s my Aoyama.” Shirakumo paused before pulling off a dramatic pose. “Zeef!”
“I don’t believe that’s French.”
“Who said I was trying to speak French?”
Toshinori narrowed his eyes at that exchange, awkwardly excusing himself back to his original destination. He decided not to focus on Shirakumo’s behavior that much. He knew that Shirakumo was a good person and Toshinori already had a few misunderstandings with others based on a few assumptions. Shirakumo was still adjusting after all. Best not to think anything negative of the sort.
About ten minutes later, Toshinori had returned to his room, changing from his workout sweats into his suit for teaching.
“A VIDEO CALL IS HERE! A VIDEO CALL IS HERE!”
Toshinori made sure he was properly dressed before sitting down at his desk and answering the call on his laptop. He smiled as a window popped open, showing Melissa Shield on screen waving hello.
“Hey, Uncle Might!” the girl greeted.
“Hello, Melissa.”
“I was wondering if it was too late to talk. I know that time zones can be tricky for us so I tried to compensate for that.”
Toshinori reassured, “Not at all. I can always make time for you. Besides, I have about an hour before I need to get to work anyhow.”
Work as in his teaching. Not as All Might.
“Ok, thanks!” Melissa exclaimed.
Toshinori asked, “How’s your father doing?”
Melissa smiled, though her expression was sadder than she intended. “He’s still in trouble for what happened at the Expo. But, he’s doing alright.”
David Shield. A trusted ally to Toshinori during his years in America training to fully utilize One for All. He provided Toshinori with his very own hero suits and was always the go-to person if Toshinori ever needed support gear.
But, then, only a few months ago, David Shield tried to commit a crime and ruined his good name all so that he could obtain a machine that would have tried to provide All Might his dwindling strength back.
If All Might had trusted him with the secret of One for All and his chosen successor, that wouldn’t have happened.
Another person’s life affected by worrying too much about Toshinori. All because Toshinori wasn’t strong enough to keep the facade up a little longer...
“Anyway, I was just wondering what you thought of my delivery. I wasn’t sure if it actually works.”
“Ah, yes. That.”
A few days ago, an important package had been sent to UA addressed to Toshinori himself. Toshinori opened it in private, not wanting any of the teachers or students to see him. But, to test it fully, he had to go to Ground Beta in the middle of the night. Just like his successor Tokoyami did.
Needless to say, when Principal Nezu made a brief comment about teachers needing to reserve testing grounds beforehand, Toshinori hoped that no one knew it was actually him.
“It was very thoughtful,” Toshinori replied sincerely. “And, I do love all of the thought that was put into it. But, you know, even after putting it on, I must admit, it doesn’t feel right for me.”
“I can adjust it if needed.”
“It’s not that. I thought I would feel different if I put it on, but it’s... It’s just not for me.”
“Oh, of course,” Melissa said, her expression dropping slightly.
The retired hero leaned forward. “Do not fret. This is a ‘me thing’, I believe it’s called. I still plan on keeping it.”
"Yeah. It’s supposed to only be for emergencies, right?
Toshinori nodded. “Exactly. The work you put into that support gear is phenomenal. You’re so talented, Melissa.”
The girl tried to hide her blush that appeared across her cheeks. “Have you shown it to Tokoyami yet? What’s his opinion on it?”
“I... haven’t shown him it yet,” Toshinori admitted. “Young Tokoyami can be a bit... critical of my fashion.”
Translation: Toshinori didn’t want to risk having his successor be embarrassed by him. Of course, the retired hero loved the design Melissa chose. However, Young Tokoyami would most likely see the design and state that it’s not ‘dark enough’. Toshinori could hear it now.
“It could be darker to show the vengeance you now have. Give Dark Shadow and I a few moments and we could fix this for you.”
Besides, Toshinori still felt like he was overcompensating with the support item. If he wore it, he would be admitting to everyone that he had a weakness. And he really didn’t want to show the world that. Even now, they still grieve for All Might and his retirement...
Young Tokoyami would one day, be the strong protector that the world needs.
Toshinori would just get in the way of that.
Melissa stared at the screen, reading her uncle’s sad yet thoughtful expression. Instead of poking around that more, she decided to change the subject.
“Hey, uh, I heard that Tokoyami’s birthday is in a few days. Is that correct?”
“Oh, of course!”
“Cool,” Melissa nodded. “So, do you think he would like it if I sent something to him?”
“Actually... I believe you shouldn’t,” Toshinori admitted awkwardly. “Although I’m sure he would appreciate the thought, Young Tokoyami is rather not fond of celebrating his birthday.”
Melissa knit her brow in confusion. “What? Why?”
“I remember when I tried to celebrate it with him last year before he got into UA while I was in training him…”
The old man sighed fondly as he leaned forward, recounting the incident from only a year prior.
“This is unacceptable!” Tokoyami screamed in agony. “You've made an absolute mockery of me. This is pure betrayal! Betrayal!” The raven clenched his fists, shaking them with pure rage and anger. “Do you have any idea what heinous crime you have committed?”
Toshinori froze up, barely able to speak. All the mighty hero could muster was him holding up the cake-sized box in his hands. But, that didn’t seem to satisfy the beast. “I... I thought when you said you didn’t want to celebrate your birthday, that it was just an expression.”
“You think I’m one for bold expressions?! To say something that I don’t really mean?!”
The man shrunk down from the harsh volume of his successor.
“I warned you specifically of this and you contravened it. You have brought disgrace and dishonor to myself and Dark Shadow!"
It soon quieted down to a tense silence. Toshinori opened the box, revealing the treat that was inside. “It has apples in it.”
...
...
...
“Very well. Your offering is acknowledged. All is forgiven for now.”
Tokoyami snatched the cake away and averted his gaze, turning away from him. As the raven set it down for later, Toshinori threw up his hands, approaching him.
“Young Tokoyami, I still don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate your birthday?”
Even All Might, the great Symbol of Peace, celebrated his birthday! (By trying to beat his personal record of good deeds performed in a day.)
The raven stood straight. With his back toward the man, Tokoyami looked up toward the sky.
“You know of the date of my birth, All Might,” Tokoyami started, creating an ominous tone between them with no other sound except a small gust of wind blowing by. “But, are you aware of the exact hour?”
“No... should I?” Toshinori questioned, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“According to the doctors, I was born at precisely 11:56 PM!” Tokoyami exclaimed. He hung his head low, filled with shame. “If my mother was only a bit stronger... if fate wasn’t so cruel and hadn’t already cast judgment upon me, I would have been born on Hallows Eve! The most sacred day of the year! It could have been glorious!”
Toshinori blinked. This was too dramatic to be upset over. And, that’s coming from him.
“Well, Young Tokoyami...” The hero put his hands up as he tried to reassure the student. “If you really want to celebrate your birthday on Halloween, I’m sure that can be arranged. I mean, all things considered, it’s still pretty close.”
“Close is not enough!” Tokoyami snapped. The raven’s blood was boiling at the thought of it all. He looked over his shoulder, glaring at the pure audacity. “Hallows Eve is too important of a day for me to force a false change. It’s the day where all of our mortal vessels can transcend the boundaries between life and death, communicating with spirits from beyond our sights and senses. The day that we obtain the power to show the world that anyone is capable of transforming into their ideal self without fear of rejection. The day that we confront what we fear the most and channel those fears into becoming something that stands alongside the evils of the world!”
When Tokoyami closed his eyes, he let out a small breath. “When you see it all together, it’s a tapestry of beautiful darkness. I shall not tarnish it by making the day a celebration in only my name and going against what fate has decided for me.”
Melissa had listened to Toshinori’s story with rapture. When Toshinori had finished, she commented, “Wow. That’s actually thoughtful of him.”
“It is...” Toshinori sighed, a smile taking over his expression. “Just like how you are doing, I’m proud to see him grow as well. I know he is capable of great things.”
It was true. No matter what fears Toshinori had about himself or the future, he knew that his chosen successor would fight with all of his power and skills to make this world one where people wouldn’t have to fear the darkness.
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“Fumi, I’m scared!”
“Silence!”
Today’s hero training for Class 1-A was at the infamous USJ, a cursed site in Fumikage’s unbiased opinion. It was not only the site where he and his friends were attacked by the League of Villains in their infancy, but it contained many dangers that targeted him in particular.
For example, Class 1-A was taking part in an evacuation exercise. Each student was placed into random spots in the six different areas of the facility where they were tasked with finding all of the civilians in their area and taking them to the evacuation point.
Fumikage got placed in the Conflagration Zone, a place of eternal hellfire. One where he wouldn’t be able to use Dark Shadow.
As he said, it was ridiculously unfair to him.
At least he had Holy One. Although, it still meant that he had to do it on his own without so much as a hand from Dark Shadow.
While Fumikage was avoiding flames, in the USJ courtyard, the teachers were exchanging notes on what they observed so far.
Toshinori commented, “I must say. I am worried. Splitting the class up among these zones does feel somewhat reminiscent of what happened at the start of the year.”
Thirteen nodded, somewhat agreeing with the blonde’s words. Nevertheless, she explained, “I can see where you’re coming from. We usually keep the class together in one spot so that they can all be easily managed. However, this is them learning from that experience. Shigaraki’s big mistake back then was having Kurogiri randomly teleport the kids to different spots. It was pure luck on our part. This way, we can have the students go at their own pace while dealing with their own weaknesses and shortcomings.”
“I am aware. I just hope they have enough endurance for it.”
Toshinori couldn't help but look over at the burning city nearby. There were only two students inside. Young Tokoyami and Young Asui. Both of their Quirks made them very susceptible to the high temperatures. He just had to hope that they don’t overexert themselves too much.
Out of the corner of his eye, Aizawa approached the two teachers. Right next to him, a stretcher being moved by robots carried an unconscious Izuku Midoriya. The greenette’s body was mainly covered up by a blanket on top.
As the robots moved toward the entrance, Toshinori asked, “What happened? Was the Typhoon Zone too much for him?”
Aizawa explained, his face in his usual tired expression, “Apparently, in the Typhoon Zone, the Problem Child had gotten pulled out of his transformation and the winds were so strong it blew his clothes off. Hagakure accidentally knocked him out after she got angry at him for ‘stealing her gimmick’.”
That would have surprised Toshinori and Thirteen at the start of the year. Now, it was exactly what they expected with Izuku Midoriya’s infamous bad luck.
The tired man looked around, narrowing his eyes. “More importantly, where is Oboro? I left him here with the both of you.”
Thirteen explained, “Oh, we were short on training dummies for everyone so Oboro volunteered to help out as one of them in the Conflagration zone.”
“What?” Aizawa snarled, his accusing glare becoming even more enhanced thanks to Erasure. “You left a man with no access to his Quirk in a burning city?”
“It’s fine,” the Rescue Hero reassured. “We put him in a spot where he’ll stay safe, but ready for either Asui or Tokoyami to pick him up.”
Aizawa argued, “But, he hasn’t prepared for this at all! He doesn’t even know basic safety protocol. Or how the USJ fully works now. It’s different than when he was in school.”
“I already prepped him on the USJ when we were doing this exercise for Class 1-B earlier. And, I’ve done this before in other rescue exercises with the other classes. He’ll be fine. I trust him.”
The homeroom teacher reaffirmed, “He’s still not ready. I’ll go get him and I’ll take his place instead. He can come back here.”
Before Toshinori or Thirteen could argue, the Erasure Hero turned around, already stomping toward the city of flames.
Speaking of Oboro, at that moment, he was in the middle of thinking the ‘perfect’ pose for someone to save him when Fumikage had swooped in and pulling the larger man over his shoulder as he rescued him from the ring of flames.
Landing in the center of the street, Fumikage released his grip on Oboro, powering down his Quirk at the moment. The foggy man walked a few steps forward and then turned around, interlocking his hands together and looking at Fumikage with affectionate hands.
“Oh, my big strong hero! How can I ever repay you?”
Fumikage stared at him with a blank expression before admitting, “This is the kind of behavior I would expect from Midnight.”
Oboro froze, blinking at that statement, before he snorted, laughing it off. “Ha! Yeah, I guess!” He rubbed the back of his neck with a wide smile. “Maybe I could mix it up a bit.”
The raven asked, “Do you need any assistance returning to the entrance?”
“I think you’re supposed to drop me off at the evacuation point like I am a lifeless dummy so...”
“Understood,” Fumikage nodded.
The raven took a step forward, hands stretched out, but Oboro held up his hands, backing away from him.
“Wait just a sec!” Oboro exclaimed. Fumikage paused, his arms dropping underneath his cloak. The cloudy man pointed at the teenager. “Since we have a moment, I wanna ask how that new move of yours is coming along.”
“Ah, yes, I have been working on it in my spare time,” Fumikage reported. “I found much inspiration from your tales of how you used your original Quirk back when you were a UA student.” Even though Fumikage would silently admit that some of Oboro’s stories seemed greatly exaggerated. “I am still unsure of how I can use it effectively, but I believe it will serve a useful addition to my arsenal.”
“Glad to hear I’m getting better at this teaching thing,” Oboro chuckled. “But, you know, I would have thought if you were going to go to anyone for move inspiration for, it would have been All Might.”
Fumikage questioned, keeping a cool expression on his face, “All Might?”
The cloudy man shrugged. “Yeah, dude. All Might talks about you a lot in the dorms. All of the staff knows that he’s your favorite.”
The raven let out a quiet sigh. His eyebrow twitched a bit, realizing again how his relationship with his predecessor was so easily outed. He needed to have another discussion with All Might on the subject of discretion. it was a wonder how One for All was as secret as it was…
After a moment to calm down, Fumikage admitted, looking up at Oboro, “All Might and I have trained together in the past before UA. We have grown together as student and pupil. I have learned much from him.”
Oboro hummed, nodding along. “I get it. Are you planning on doing that whole Symbol of Peace shtick like he is?”
“Of course not,” the hero student cut that line of thought down. “Dark Shadow and I have already discussed this subject at length with All Might. We are heroes of the darkness. There is no peace to be found. Only chaos and destruction which we shall combat. We have no interest in emulating our mentor fully, only to use his lessons to save those who find themselves lost in the darkness.”
A whistle left the teaching assistant’s mouth. “Wow, you are totally cool. I can see what All Might sees in you.” He threw his head back leisurely, resting his hands on his hips as he arched his body backwards. “So, what kind of Symbol do you want to be?”
Fumikage was thrown off from the sudden question. The raven blinked. “What do you mean?”
Oboro explained, “Well, I get it. You don’t want to be a Symbol of Peace. It clashes with your image and it carries immense responsibility. I definitely couldn’t handle it. But, you can be a symbol of something else. The really iconic heroes are known for more than just their Quirks and strengths. They can exude a quality about them they want others to believe in or at the very least, an image that they want to share to the people they save.”
The raven was stunned in silence for a moment before he admitted in a blunt fashion. “Huh. I wouldn’t have thought you were so wise.”
Oboro shrugged off the compliment. “Yeah, well, when you listen to the same lectures over and over again, you start to pick up on some things.”
Fumikage had never even thought of it. The idea was so simple. A point of contention between him and All Might was that Fumikage didn’t believe in becoming a new Symbol of Peace. But, he never considered becoming a symbol of something else. The true image of the hero he wanted to be.
If the peace All Might created came from him shining in the light, what symbol could be found in the darkness?
“You have given myself and Dark Shadow much to ponder…” Fumikage bowed his head. “I thank you for your words. I shall need a fortnight to contemplate-
Fumikage suddenly stopped mid-sentence. The raven was starting to feel a small buzzing inside of his mind. Holy One’s voice spoke to him.
“Danger...”
The emo teenager looked toward the side. Fumikage’s beak hung open, his eyes widening in surprise. Oboro noted the boy’s silence, following his gaze. And, like Fumikage, he was also just as shocked.
Trying to hide behind a small pillar underneath a building, there was a child.
A group of villains breaking into the USJ, although regrettable and cruel to happen, was something the two of them could wrap their heads around. But, a single child managing to break in just boggled their mind. UA’s security should have been improved after the USJ incident, not somehow get worse!
Fumikage thought, “How is something like this even possible?”
Oboro stammered, “What the-? How the-? What?” He then glanced at Fumikage. “I swear I had nothing to do with this one!”
At the sound of Oboro’s outburst, the child’s eyes met with Fumikage’s.
Suddenly, the boy started sprinting away, turning the corner of the block they were on.
“Wait!” Fumikage yelled. Holy One’s light wrapped around his arms, providing him with strength and energy. He leapt forward with super speed, giving chase as he rounded the corner.
But, there was no one in sight. In fact, the only thing in front were unruly orange flames.
Fumikage slammed the palms of his hands together, generating a large gust of wind that blew them out.
WHOOSH!
It left nothing but ash. And, not even a trace of the child.
Fumikage looked all around him, but there was nothing. Even Holy One was telling him that something was wrong.
Oboro was slow, his chest heaving. He was more used to riding a cloud around than doing anything with cardio. (Plus, he was woefully out of shape.)
He hadn’t reached Fumikage yet, but then he noticed something among the hellscape he was in out of the corner of his eye.
The boy was in an alleyway now, climbing up the fire escape. Oboro chased after him, wondering, “Wait, I thought this kid was on the other side of this building. How did he get here that fast?”
The teaching assistant yelled, running up the stairs after him, “Wait!”
Oboro reached the third platform, seeing the boy stop on the next platform. The man reached to grab him, but then, the boy phased through the platform, going straight down. Oboro heard a THUD! from below. The man looked over the railing to see the boy untuck his legs as he sprung up from the ground and made a beeline for the sidewalk.
“Is that his Quirk?”
Right as the boy made it out of the alley, Fumikage sprung up from above right in front of the boy. He spread his arms wide, blocking the child’s path. The kid stopped himself in his path.
“It is alright,” Fumikage reassured, kneeling down to meet him at eye level. “We are not your enemies.”
Now that he stopped running, Fumikage could see the child even closer. It was a boy about 10 years old with heterochromatic eyes, similar to Fumikage’s classmate, Todoroki. The left eye was white while the other was black. But, other than that, there was nothing unusual about him in casual clothing and a messy set of black hair.
So, how’d he get in here?
The boy looked over his shoulder to see Oboro right behind him, the man still panting from the exertion of it all.
Oboro wagged a finger before holding onto his knees. “You... that was your Quirk you used back there? Some kind of phasing?”
The child’s face was undiscernible before he gave a slow nod.
“That... must be how you got in here, right?”
“I... I think so,” the child began hesitantly. He averted his gaze, not ready to make eye contact with them yet. “I... my memories are a little fuzzy. I’m not sure what I should be doing.”
“What you should be doing?”
Fumikage took note of that before asking in a calm tone, “My name is Tsukuyomi. What is your name?”
The child hesitated for a moment, still not looking at right at them. “Shu.”
“Ok, Shu. Would you accompany us out of here toward the entrance?” the raven asked. “This is not an ideal location for a conversation.”
A moment of silence passed between them before Shu agreed. “Ok, but can I walk there by myself? I don’t want to fly like how I saw you.”
Fumikage responded with a nod, “Of course, we shall escort you there.”
The raven held out his hand for the boy to grab, but the child flinched when it was in reach. Fumikage glanced at Oboro for confirmation. Both of them knew that their appearances made others hesitant to approach them. Part of Shu’s behavior could have explained that, but the other was something else. More than just general fear of strangers...
Still, Oboro led the way toward the entrance in front of Fumikage walking side-by-side with Shu next to him. Fumikage tried to take the time to discern more of Shu’s condition and appearance.
“There are no notable injuries from what I have observed... Shu’s Quirk is some sort of phasing capability. Which would serve as a reasonable explanation for how he got inside. But, even so, wouldn’t have the security cameras been alerted to this?”
Oboro suddenly stopped moving. Fumikage turned his attention away from Shu, looking up at the street.
A line of green robots blocked their path. Fumikage recognized them from the UA entrance exam, being easily used as cannon fodder to test their initial abilities with their Quirks.
But, still...
Fumikage asked, “Shirakumo, I believe this exercise was just for rescue and not combat. What are they doing here?”
“Not sure,” Oboro admitted before taking a step forward and addressing the robots with a wave. “Hey, uh, robo-dudes, there’s been some kind of mix-up. There’s no combat exercise today.”
One of the robots responded, “Power Loader gave us instructions to complete our tasks, no matter who tells us otherwise.”
Fumikage echoed, “Power Loader?”
Oboro shook his head. “Well, I'm telling you different. Return to the main entrance and inform Eraserhead and the other teachers that we have a child here named Shu that’s going to need medical attention by Recovery Girl when we get back.”
“Shu is the name of our target,” the robot responded.
Both Fumikage and Oboro said at once, “Target?!”
Shu froze, both of his legs shaking from the fear. He took a step back.
All of a sudden, the robots raised their appendages in the air. “ATTACK!”
The robots’ red eyes locked onto Oboro, aiming their gun-like appendages onto the foggy man. Their barrels started spinning, firing off rounds of rubber bullets.
BABABABABABABABABABABANG!
Oboro instinctively whipped around and picked up Shu to shield him from harm.
“LUNAR WHIP!”
Fumikage moved quickly, sliding in front of Oboro. From underneath his cloak, Holy One’s bird-like form reshaped becoming one of the Vestiges instead.
Banjo Daigoro. Fifth User. His original Quirk, Blackwhip, shot out from underneath Fumikage’s cloak.
Whips of energy extended outwards, acting as if it was alive. It shot out in an entangled flurry, slapping the bullets down with fury and speed and protecting all three of them from harm.
As the first barrage of bullets ended, Holy One returned to its original shape, covering its master’s head, beak, and arms with their light. The raven looked back to the others.
“Shirakumo, get the two of you to safety now!”
Energized, Fumikage dove into the fray, flying down the street at high speed and sinking his wicked talons right into the robot’s metal exterior.
SKKKKT!
Oboro held the shivering boy close as his head darted left and right, sprinting for a safe spot.
“Not a lot of safe places when everything is on fire...” Oboro thought. “The last thing this kid needs is-” He suddenly paused, looking down at Shu. “Wait a minute. This feeling in my fingers... that shouldn’t make sense...”
Fumikage had ripped apart the top half of a humanoid robot, standing on top of its discarded wheels while dodging an attack. The raven jumped down and punched it with all of his might.
Sparks flew as the metal scraped the ground, knocking down a robotic scorpion’s legs and making it drop straight down. More robots were coming for him. Fumikage moved in a blur as he punched straight to the robot’s gut before ducking underneath another’s arms and throwing his fist at another.
An entire group of robots tried to circle him. With Holy One, Fumikage’s muscles launched him high into the air before he turned around, diving out with his fist.
“SALEM SMASH!”
His fist ruptured the ground, sending a shockwave of raw power throughout the area. The earth shattered, taking the robots down. And, yet more were coming...
Oboro, with Shu in his arms, crouched down, hiding behind a fake car that was burning in flames. But, then, he noticed the shadow overhead as a robot went directly for him.
FWIPPP!
Suddenly, a long tongue lashed out, wrapping around the robot’s waist. With a hard yank, the robot was forced to the ground with Tsuyu Asui landing on top of her ‘kill’.
Oboro exclaimed, “Tsuyu! Good timing!”
“Oboro, what’s going on?” the frog girl asked. “Is it another attack from the League? Ribbit?”
“Not sure, but we could use the help right now.”
“Oboro!”
The teaching assistant’s head turned toward the closest alley. Eraserhead’s capture weapon swung him out of it, knocking down the nearest robot with a swift kick.
“Shota!” Oboro exclaimed. “Glad to see you join the party!”
The teacher said, running up to him, “Oboro, you shouldn’t be here!”
“But-”
“But nothing! Stay close to me! You’ll explain this to me later!”
While Aizawa and Tsuyu defended Oboro, Fumikage looked behind him, noticing how much slower Tsuyu’s hopping was then. He turned his attention toward the large swarm of robots taking to the streets.
“We can’t delay this any longer. Tsuyu is starting to get overwhelmed from the heat... My new finisher should end this swiftly.”
Fumikage stood his ground. “It is time to meet your demise!”
The raven closed his eyes and steadied his breath. Holy One retreated underneath his cloak. The bird shape of the Quirk changed to a male with short spiky hair and a large scar across his face.
The second user of One for All. Kudo.
The projection of Kudo touched Fumikage’s back as the boy got into a running stance, widening his arms. Gearshift had been activated, changing Fumikage’s speed. It would only last a few moments as ‘Kudo’ changed back to Holy One, hovering across Fumikage’s arms. Holy One’s wings extended, spreading so wide its wingspan filled the streets.
“ICARUS’S FLIGHT!”
ZOOM!
Gearshift launched Fumikage across the street, speeding the raven right through the robots. Fumikage’s arms covered by Holy One’s light acted like swords, slicing through what was close to him. The rest were destroyed by the shockwave that followed Fumikage’s intense speed. Shards of glass were destroyed in its wake.
The teachers in the courtyard saw shards of glass crashing out with a stray robot getting dug into the dirt.
The students couldn’t help but notice what was going on. Sero commented, “Woah, what the heck?”
Toshinori and Thirteen ran up to the city right as Fumikage was in their sights, breathing heavily.
“Young Tokoyami! Are you alright?” Toshinori asked.
The raven looked back to see the others quickly following him. Aizawa was carrying Shu in his arms. There were a few scrapes and scratches, but everything had come to a still right then.
“I am alright and it seems the danger has passed...” Fumikage paused, giving a grave expression as he stared at his mentor. “However, there is something sinister brewing...”
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“How could the USJ incident happen again?” The thought had been repeating again and again in Toshinori’s mind the whole time Aizawa had dropped off the child personally at Recovery Girl. He normally would have given it to the robots, but with everything that went down, it wasn’t the wisest decision.
The only comfort that it was nowhere close to the original USJ incident. There were robots that were seen in all of the zones, but the only ones that attacked were the ones in Conflagration Zone and they only started attacking once Shu’s name was mentioned.
School was basically over at that point. The sun had started to set, bathing the empty hallways with orange light.
Toshinori waited outside in the hallway, fidgeting with his hands nervously. A desperate part of him wanted to peek inside the private meeting room, but he knew that he had to let his friend work.
Right next to him, Oboro reassured, “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be done any minute now.”
“He better.”
It was then that Aizawa approached both of them, an annoyed scowl with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“I’m not dealing with another kid causing trouble for everyone, especially after the Training Camp,” Aizawa said. “Find out what we need from that kid before we get them out of here.”
Oboro arched an eyebrow. “Shota, that’s pretty harsh to say.”
The tired man crossed his arms. “Why should I care? That brat’s not any of my students.”
Underneath his fog, Oboro frowned at that. He knew that Shota didn’t like to show off his emotions, wanting to act cruel to enforce his students to do better or fight in the field. But, he was a big softie at heart.
There was no reason to say any of that.
Before Oboro could question him on that, all three of them snapped their heads toward the sound of a door creaking open.
Detective Tsukauchi walked out, closing the door behind him.
Toshinori asked, “So, how’d it go?”
“We’re definitely dealing with a case of memory loss,” the detective informed them, reviewing his notes. “Shu can’t remember much about his life or anything. All that I managed to get out of him was that he felt like he was in danger and so he tried to go to the heroes for help. That’s why he came here.” He shrugged impassively. “In terms of how he got here is still a mystery.”
Oboro nudged, “Is it his Quirk?”
“Right... His Quirk...” The detective turned to the next page, tapping at it with his pen. “I didn’t get a straight answer on that, but even he’s not sure on what it is exactly or how to activate it.”
Toshinori asked, “He’s a late bloomer?”
“It’s possible. I've seen many cases where someone’s confused because the activation of their Quirks can be very specific,” Tsukauchi sighed. “Let’s face it. I’m sure you’re all aware of cases like these. Midoriya being an especially good example.”
Aizawa informed, “The rat’s combing through security videos now to find any trace of the brat coming inside the USJ. What did you get from Maijima’s testimony?”
“Right,” Toshinori nodded. “The other teachers found him in his room asleep. Did he know anything?”
The detective shook his head, rubbing his forehead. “No. His testimony didn’t reveal anything. All he remembers is working late last night and then him waking up in his room only an hour ago.”
“No way, that’s impossible,” Toshinori whispered, wearing a grim expression on his face. “I saw him this morning when I was out jogging.”
Oboro added, “Plus, I saw him managing his class and then in the teacher’s lounge.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Tsukauchi replied. “Power Loader has no knowledge of any of this. He didn’t even recognize Shu’s name.”
Oboro and Toshinori were both shaken by the fact. Those two and Aizawa did not like the picture that was being painted for them.
This couldn’t be explained by something normal like Power Loader getting drunk and blacking out. There was too much time for that to happen and it still wouldn’t explain why the hero would know of a boy that he had no knowledge of prior.
It had to be a Quirk. The work of a heinous villain to go after a child.
But, the staff lived with each other at UA, knowing most of their comings and goings. Power Loader was a Support Hero, which meant he didn’t have a patrol schedule unlike many heroes. So, he hadn’t left campus in a while.
Was a student somehow responsible for this? Another traitor working for the villains?
The staff knew their students’ Quirks. The closest match that this could have been was Hitoshi Shinsou’s Quirk, Brainwashing. But, even then, they knew from Aizawa’s recounting of Shinsou’s private lessons that the Quirk was not powerful enough to erase someone’s memory nor would it explain how they knew about Shu.
Which meant, there was potentially a villain with a powerful Quirk to somehow control someone, a Pro Hero even, without even being in the same room as them.
And, that right there was downright terrifying.
Finally breaking the silence, Toshinori asked, “Tsukauchi, what comes next?”
“We’re investigating this fully. This doesn’t feel like the League of Villains. But, we can’t write them off yet until we know more,” the detective said, pocketing his notebook. “In the meantime, Shu can go into police custody.”
“I don’t think he should.”
Everyone looked down the hallway. Vlad King approached them with his palms close to his chest. Principal Nezu sat on his hands, swinging his legs.
“Kan?” Oboro asked. “Why do you believe that?”
Vlad King came to a stop, frowning, “We don’t know enough here. Whoever was behind this, they used Power Loader because they knew he has access to the school’s robots. It indicates that even though this person does have a powerful ability to control someone or manipulate them, they don’t have the firepower to actually breach the school themselves. Whereas if we actually take him out of the school, things might escalate. This person could potentially take control of any cop and get the child alone...”
He paused right there. The indication alone was enough for them.
Nezu put his paws together. “I agree with Kan’s assessment. It would be best for us not to rush into moving him until we learn more of the situation. If there really is a villain manipulating humans, it would be dangerous anywhere. At least here, we could look out for the boy.” He looked toward the detective. “But, what is your assessment?”
Tsukauchi sighed. He hung his hat, covering his eyes. “I think you’re right for now. At least until we can locate Shu’s parents. Besides...” He looked over at Toshinori with a small smile. “Shu is a good kid. But, he’s scared. Even with everything going on, I can tell he’ll feel a lot safer if the heroes are here with him.”
“Thank you, Naomasa,” Toshinori paused, turning toward the principal. “Nezu, would it be alright if I took Young Shu to the cafeteria and have Lunch Rush whip up something for him?”
“Of course. If Shu will be staying with us, it’s best not to make him feel like a prisoner.”
The skeleton nodded, going into the room and holding Shu’s hand as Toshinori led the boy to the cafeteria. Detective Tsukauchi soon left with Nezu (and Vlad King holding the rat). All three of them headed toward the principal’s office to sort out the details.
That left Oboro alone with Aizawa.
“Well, seems we got everything settled for now,” Oboro said nonchalantly. He placed his hands on the back of his metal collar, starting to walk down the hall. “That’s good to hear.”
“Good to hear?” Aizawa echoed in a harsh tone. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”
Oboro paused in his step, looking back. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a song ready.”
“Just what the hell were you thinking?”
“I know. I really got to expand my modern playlist.”
“I’m not joking, Oboro.”
The cloudy man fully turned around as Aizawa stepped towards him. “I did my job in helping the others and the class with their exercises and providing any advice I can give. It was lucky that I was there when I was.”
“Lucky?!”
“Yeah, I protected Shu while Tokoyami, you, and Tsuyu were fighting those robots. If I wasn’t there, who knows what would have happened?”
“Of course, you don’t get it...” Aizawa snarled, his teeth grinding together. “I’ll tell you exactly what would have happened. We wouldn’t have to worry about another civilian getting in our way.”
“Civilian? In your way? That’s what you think?”
“Yes, you should have stayed with Toshinori and Thirteen. Exactly where I left you.”
Oboro defended, “It was no big deal! I told you. I was doing my job! That’s why I’m here, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re here because you failed at your last one!”
The cloudy man’s eyes widened with shock. Out of all of the people who could have said something like that, Oboro never expected it from one of his best friends. If anything, hearing that was like taking a rock to the heart
Oboro stammered, “You... you don’t mean that, do you?”
“I do,” Aizawa reaffirmed, his glare becoming enhanced for a moment with his Erasure Quirk. He pointed a finger right at the ground, “When you’re with me, you do exactly what I say. You stay exactly where you are. It doesn’t matter what is happening.”
The foggy man’s jaw dropped, completely in shock from the situation. “That’s not fair!”
“Life never is,” the hero said, his words cutting through Oboro’s argument like a knife. “Natural disasters, accidents, rampaging villains. It’s my job as a hero to enforce what’s fair and what’s not. If you plan on slacking off and being your usual self, you can forget it.” Aizawa leaned forward, getting right in Oboro’s face. He put on a mad grin. “You’re an idiot through and through. I'll wring you dry if you ever try anything like that again.”
Oboro focused on his best friend’s words, but Aizawa’s downright evil expression, his threats, the aura that he was exuding, reminded him of something else. His mind flashed back to an image buried deep inside.
One in a bar of a white-haired boy yelling at him...
The living corpse hung his head low, his hands becoming fists. He needed to remind himself that he was still in control.
“I’m not him. I’m not Kurogiri, you know.”
Aizawa snarled. “What?”
“I’m not some mindless puppet. Someone to do exactly what you want all the time, regardless how I feel.”
The hero yelled in anger, “Are you seriously comparing me to Shigaraki?”
“Yeah, I kinda am!” Oboro exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. He looked feverishly into Aizawa’s eyes covered by his hair. “Look, I get a lot of the restrictions that are put on me. The collar, the arrest. And, I’m fine with how it is now. I like helping Hizashi, Nemuri, and the others with their classes. I like watching and helping Izuku and all of the other kids. But, ever since I got here, you’ve been on my case, man!” He took a step back, swiping his hand. "I don’t know what needs to be done. Either you backing off or me getting some space. But, I’m not going to apologize for doing what I think is right, you got it?”
A silence began stewing. Aizawa took a slow breath before he turned away from Oboro.
“Fine, I got it alright,” the man said in a harsh tone. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a step forward. “Do whatever you want. But, stay the hell out of my class.”
“But-”
“Don’t get mad. I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
Aizawa walked away. Oboro held up a hand, but it soon dropped to his side. He stood there, staring down the hall until his best friend was completely out of sight.
Oboro... hated getting into fights like that. He never was one for confrontation. He always tried to look at the positive side of life and just accept what happened. But... this was different. It had to be done.
“Shota... you just need some time, right?”
As much as Oboro wanted to go to talk to some of his other friends about this, he actually had somewhere he needed to go then.
In another part of the school, Izuku Midoriya had finally recovered from his brief unlucky accident at the USJ. He had left Recovery Girl’s office (after hearing a mouthful that this was his fifth time that month!) and was about to open the door towards the dorms when he heard Oboro call out for him.
“Hey, Izuku! You got a minute?”
The Quirkless teen turned around, waiting for the teaching assistant to catch up to him. “Sure, I got some time.”
“Good, good,” Oboro gasped. “Because you missed quite a party.”
“Yeah, I overheard some of the details from Recovery Girl,” Izuku frowned, crossing his arms. “You guys really found a random boy in the USJ?”
The cloudy man nodded. “Yeah, the teachers don’t know how one just wandered in, but I trust Nezu to figure it all out.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope the boy will be alright.”
“He will. He will,” Oboro reassured, glancing left and right to make sure they were alone. “Listen, can I get a favor?”
“Of course, Oboro. Whatever you need.”
“Good,” Oboro looked back at the teenager in front of him. “Can you get me one of your patented Quirk Analyses?”
Izuku arched an eyebrow in confusion. “On who?”
“Shu.”
“The boy you and Tokoyami found?”
The man nodded. “That’s right. There’s something off about it.”
Izuku frowned. “What do you mean? Can I see him?”
“Yeah, he’s in the cafeteria now. Come on,” Oboro said before the two of them walked down the darkening hallway toward their destination.
During that time, Oboro filled Izuku on the rest of the details of their encounter with Shu at the USJ that Izuku missed as well as the brief moment where Shu showed off his power.
“... From how fast Shu was, it makes sense that he got here through phasing. But, there’s something that doesn’t add up.”
“What is it?” Izuku asked, his confusion now turning into curiosity.
“When I grabbed Shu to protect him...” Oboro looked down at his fingers. “He was completely cold.”
“Cold?”
“Yeah, we were in a fiery city. It’s blazing hot, flames all around,” Oboro gestured his hands wildly, imitating the fire. “But, when I held Shu, it felt like I was holding a piece of Todoroki’s ice.” He showed the palms of his fingers to Izuku. “My hands still feel numb after holding him for so long. That’s not normal, is it?”
“It’s... possible...” Izuku paused, cupping his chin in thought. He narrowed his eyes, trying to process that fact. “Temperature isn’t normally an associated factor with phasing powers. Mirio Togata is a really good example of that. And, even if it was, I would think it would be an extremely hot temperature since we all know that heat tends to reduce cohesion and tension. Whereas cold temperatures keep particles in place. When you touched him, he was solid, so the Quirk could potentially change his temperature when it’s activated. But, also, if it is temperature based, then it would also leave some trace of it. You would have mentioned it if you saw it. Of course, it could have been covered by the flames. We’d need a more objective test. Based on what you said on what he’s been through and his limited knowledge of his own Quirk, it’s probably too soon to ask Shu for a demonstration.”
Anyone else would have stopped Izuku from going through his mutterstorm completely. But, Oboro knew that Izuku’s mind was like a record and that he just needed to play through it fully.
Oboro laughed at the end of it, “That’s why I got you for this, Izuku. I’m better off in the funny idiot category.”
“Oboro, you’re not an idiot. You choose not to think so much. There’s a difference.”
“Hey, there they are.”
Both Oboro and Izuku stopped right as they got to the lunchroom. Besides a few scattered students between tables using the space for studying, it was barely empty.
At a table a few rows away from them, Shu and Toshinori sat side-by-side. Shu looked tense, constantly sending glances at the man next to him while playing with his food.
Oboro thought, “I wonder if Shu knows that’s All Might. He might feel less tense if he knew that was the Symbol of Peace.”
Even if Shu was told, it would have been hard to recognize him. Besides the lack of muscles and the suit, Toshinori wasn’t smiling either. Oboro would have thought the Symbol of Peace would love being friendly with children, but he looked downright annoyed at his food.
“If All Might is going for a Eraserhead impression, then it’s working.”
Before Izuku and Oboro had reached the table, the greenette suddenly put an arm out, stopping Oboro. He whispered, “Wait a minute.”
“What’s up?”
Izuku narrowed his eyes before looking at Oboro. “When you were describing Shu to me, you said his left eye was white and his right eye was black.”
“Right...”
“But...” Izuku’s attention slowly returned to Shu, pointing a finger at the table. “It’s the opposite.”
Oboro followed Izuku’s gaze, noting the difference. “Huh, you’re right. Maybe I just got confus-”
All of a sudden, the eyes flipped colors.
Both Izuku and Oboro’s eyes went wide, flinching from the shock.
“Okay, Oboro...” Izuku gulped. “I, um, think you’re on to something...”
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“We survived the USJ twice. It’s clear that it is a cursed place, Dark Shadow.”
“It is! But, we have more important things to worry about now.”
“Agreed. We must make preparations.”
Fumikage’s mind had already gotten used to an attack at his school. (As sad as a thing that could be said.) He did wonder about Shu and his wellbeing, but he knew it was best to leave it to the heroes for the moment.
Besides, a few days remained until Hallow’s Eve. This was Fumikage’s busiest time of the year.
In the common room of the Class 1-A dorms, Ochaco Uraraka was sitting at a table next to her boyfriend, Izuku Midoriya. The gravity girl peeked at Izuku’s notebook, both of them working on the same math homework.
“Hey, Ochaco, you know you can’t do that,” Izuku said, slowly sliding it away from her.
Uraraka argued, “I’m not. I’m just checking your answers with the ones I’m about to write down.”
“Oh, ok then,” Izuku said, moving the notebook back for her to see. But, he blinked, realizing fully what that meant.
Before he could say anything, Iida walked through the front door of the dorms and placed a large box in front of the two of them.
Uraraka looked inside the box, frowning at what’s inside. The girl asked, “Iida, what is all of this?”
“Why, of course, it’s the snacks for our Halloween celebration!” Iida exclaimed. “I bought this in advance and will be storing them in a safe place so that Kaminari and Sero won’t be tempted to taste them before the party.”
“Yeah, um, I don’t think they’d be tempted...”
“Whatever do you mean?”
It was then Fumikage approached the table, eyeing the box with suspicion. “Hello, class rep. Did you obtain the items I requested?”
“Well, no. Your list consisted mostly of sugar and candy. I felt like as aspiring hero students, maintaining a healthy diet should be ideal.”
The raven’s eye twitched. “What are you implying?”
Iida adjusted his glasses. “Since Yaoyorozu was busy preparing for our soon-to-be School Festival performance, I have taken the lead as class representative to introduce to the class some healthy alternatives.”
Fumikage crossed his arms in defiance. “While I applaud the effort, I have already explained this to you when I gave you my list of treats,” the raven explained, gesturing as he went along. “The source of ‘trick-or-treating' as children would call it came from Catholics who chose to honor the dead with food. Soul cakes were distributed to beggars in exchange for prayers of the deceased. Now, the food that was distributed has taken many forms since then. However, the core value of our offerings should still be in place to connect us to the spirits that wander the Earth.” He held up a single finger, lecturing his uneducated classmate. “To put it simply, the food we consume should bring us all closer to death’s door.”
The class rep sighed, shaking his head. He dug his hand into his box of groceries. “I’m sure the offerings we serve here will be as satisfying.” He pulled out a bag of vegetables, displaying them proudly. “Like these freshly cut carrots.”
“Carrots?!”
Fumikage didn’t need to summon Dark Shadow. The Quirk of Darkness had already popped out of the raven’s chest, snatching the bag away from Iida. On her own, Dark Shadow extended toward the nearest trash can, opening it up and slamming the carrots into it.
“Bad carrots! Bad!”
Iida’s jaw fell to the floor as he looked from the trash can back to his fellow classmate.
The raven was shaking his head at Iida’s poor choices. “Are you not aware of what carrots will do to you? They can improve your vision and boost your immunity to harmful toxins.” He tsk’d his beak, closing his eyes. “Your concern for our long-term health and well-being is frankly appalling.”
Iida’s hands were chopping a mile a minute. “Tokoyami! Dark Shadow! That is so inconsiderate! Even if you rejected it, you could have saved it for another occasion for someone else! Think of your fellow students!”
“We shall replace them. On November 1st.”
“And, hold for a minute.” Iida chopped toward the large wooden box in the corner of the kitchen. “You brought in an entire crate of apples just the other day.”
“Yes, well, bobbing for apples has been a long-standing tradition for Halloween.”
Dark Shadow came to her master’s side, shrugging her talons, “Besides, in fairy tales, everyone knows about poisoned apples. Whoever heard of poisoned carrots?”
Uraraka stood from her seat, changing the subject, before it could escalate any further. “Well, even though the treats are important, there’s still more to Halloween, right?” She wrapped her arm around Izuku’s shoulder, pulling him close to her. “You two got your costumes ready? Izuku and I talked ahead. We are going to be matching with each other.”
“Yeah...” Izuku sheepishly laughed, brushing his shoulder with hers. “I really hope I can look just as good in my costume as I’m sure Ochaco will.”
The girl’s cheeks grew bright red as she tried to laugh that off, hiding her nervousness as well.
Silently trying not to judge the two’s awkwardness, Fumikage responded, “Yes. I already prepared my disguise weeks ago, with Midoriya’s assistance.”
Uraraka exclaimed, “Oh, wonderful! Can’t wait to see it.”
KNOCK! KNOCK!
The teenagers turned toward the front door of the dorms.
Iida was the first one at the door, gripping the handle as he swung the door open.
Reiko Yanagi was on the other side, standing on Class 1-A's porch with her hands pointed downwards as usual. Right next to her, a small box floated with a purple glow around it. The moonlight illuminated her from behind as if she was truly a spirit coming to visit them.
“Oh, hello, Yanagi!” Iida greeted, bowing in greeting toward the Class 1-B student. “What business do you have here?”
Yanagi explained, “Hallow’s Eve is almost upon us. As such as this is the time when most spirits and souls wander the Earth, I have decorated the Class 1-B dorm with charms and items to ward off any vengeful strays.” The box slid toward Iida and the engine teen was able to see the contents inside. “I would like to extend the offer to you as well.”
“Of course, thank you for that kind offer,” Iida suddenly paused, gasping very dramatically. “But, we haven’t made any plans to extend the courtesy to you or your class! How inconsiderate! We must take action!”
“It’s alright,” Yanagi stated, clearly not caring about Iida's distress at all. She let her head rest on her shoulder as she peeked over the class rep’s shoulder, making direct eye contact with Fumikage. “Tokoyami, would you please come outside to place the wards?”
“Why me?”
“You are a denizen of the night as well. You would be familiar with... certain sprits, wouldn’t you?”
Fumikage narrowed his eyes, searching for the emotion hidden underneath her blank expression. He knew from Yanagi’s words that this was more than just a joyous activity. There was an unspoken demand in the air.
Yanagi was one of the few people who knew of One for All and that Fumikage was the current holder of it. Based on her dialogue, she wanted to discuss something with the Quirk.
The raven tensed up, sparking a glance toward Dark Shadow. The Quirk looked more nervous than he was. But, nonetheless, Fumikage accepted, keeping as calm as possible. “Of course.”
Fumikage stepped past a worried Iida, closing the door behind them and walking down the steps next to her. He watched as Yanagi walked toward the side of the building with the box right next to her.
“Some of these are traditionally hung in windows,” Yanagi informed. “We should go toward the side of the dorm and hang these without disturbing anyone.”
“Of course.”
The two of them fell in silence as they walked around the building, hanging their charms up. Dark Shadow stretched far, reaching the windows that they couldn’t.
When they had almost finished circling the dorms, Fumikage asked, “Was there something you wished to discuss?”
“Indeed,” Yanagi paused, staring up at Dark Shadow near the roof of the building. “My class has been informed of the USJ incident earlier today.”
“Ah, is Monoma suffering from a case of mad delusion from the news?”
“Yes, that is to be expected, but that is not what I came to discuss with you.”
Dark Shadow had recoiled, floating near the two of them now. “Is it about Shu, the boy Fumi found?”
“No, but that is rather peculiar,” Yanagi remarked. She turned from Dark Shadow toward Fumikage. “No, some of your classmates have mentioned your rather devastating new finisher you demonstrated.”
Fumikage nodded slowly, crossing his arms. The raven explained, “Yes, Icarus’s Flight is an Ultimate Move of mine that utilizes Holy One’s speed and power to clear through our enemies quickly. It was inspired by Shirakumo’s previous cloud-based combat.” He hummed. “Our control over One for All has improved immensely.”
“Has it?” Yanagi paused. “Or is your power growing even faster than your mortal body can contain?”
The raw tension would have silenced anyone else, but not Fumikage.
The raven responded, “I grow in strength as my Quirks grow in strength. Side by side.”
Yanagi stared at him with a cold glare, “Tokoyami, I have already explained this to you. I have researched this far more than you have access to. My ancestor’s Quirk is too dangerous to be kept. ”
“Yes, I heed your warnings of Soul Leech with caution,” Fumikage informed her. “However, it is the basis of how One for All was created, the stockpile Quirk that merged with Yoichi’s Transfer centuries ago. It is how Holy One is to be now. And, I intend on using Holy One as his creator intends to. To save others and guide them through the darkness.”
The ghostly girl argued, “You won’t be able to if Soul Leech inadvertently destroys people’s souls, drawing its strength from other spirits leaving the dead with no more spirits in the afterlife. That power won’t bring anyone peace.”
“It will when it saves their lives. That is what we are tasked to save.”
The box filled with decorations was set down and a small metal eyeball-like object came zooming out, popping right into Yanagi’s hand.
“I have the Eyecon right here,” Yanagi stressed, holding the object in front of her. “I can contain and destroy One for All before it has the chance to cause irreparable damage.”
“You’re preparing for one unimaginable disaster by risking the threat of another,” Fumikage responded. He gestured out with his hand. “All for One is in Tartarus. But, there are more threats hidden with darkness that we aren’t prepared for. Ones where we may one day need One for All by our side. You stated before you would wait to observe whether or not I should keep the power. I have proven my strength.”
“Yes, you have. You are strong.” Yanagi paused, pointing at Dark Shadow. “But, you are strong with her. You don’t need more.”
Dark Shadow chimed in, “Hey, I don’t like the light either. And, I’ll always protect Fumi. But, the light gives us more of a chance to fight. Take today. We couldn’t help at all when Fumi was in the fire zone.” The Quirk of darkness hovered closer to Yanagi. “Fumi can handle this. All Might had One for All for decades and he saved a lot of people. Why can’t Fumi?”
“Because Soul Leech should have never existed.”
Fumikage sighed, shaking his head. “This argument is becoming too circular and completely futile. I choose to wield both light and darkness in my quest to become a hero.” He looked back at her. His common avian features made his face just as emotionless as the girl’s. “Until the moment in time where I fail my mentor in pursuing the path he had laid out, where I fail to save anyone who has accepted my shadow, I willingly refuse to destroy One for All.”
Silence followed Fumikage’s declaration. Yanagi’s face didn’t change, but he knew that it was over for now. She wouldn’t be easily deterred.
“Very well. But, know that there is something sinister here. Your power is an unnecessary problem we don’t need at the moment.”” Yanagi said, leaving promptly without another word. She took her box with her but clutched the Eyecon tightly in her hand.
Dark Shadow whispered, “I would have thought she’d get off our backs by now.”
“Understand, Dark Shadow. Yanagi is correct to be afraid that Soul Leech could potentially sacrifice souls for One for All’s power. However, with how relentless she is, I do believe there may be more in play here...”
“Whatever. We got our own problems, right?”
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CLANG!
In an alleyway, a man crashed into a trashcan. He quickly recovered, running away as fast as he could. But, he was badly injured. He had never taken a beating like that in his life.
The criminal glanced in fear as he saw the silhouette of the hero coming after him.
“Gotta get to the streets and find a busy club or something. I can blend in with the crowd.”
(It would be hard for him. After all, his Quirk made his head look like a giant ‘X’.)
A few feet ahead, a door to the alley rattled open. A man in a fast-food uniform stepped out, taking out the trash. Completely oblivious to what was going on, the fast-food worker was unprepared as the criminal spun him around and faced him toward the end of the alley, toward the attacker in the shadows. The criminal held a knife to his throat while with his free arm wrapped it around the civilian’s chest.
BEEP! BOOP! BOOP!
The criminal looked down in confusion. “What was that?”
“Oh, my Quirk makes me a human phone,” the worker explained. “I think you just hit the keypad on my chest. No worries.” He glanced at the man holding him at knifepoint. “You know, you got a weird head.”
“Yeah, old news, dude,” the criminal admitted, completely used to those comments. He then focused his attention back on the task at hand. “Listen here, hero! Stop right where you are or I will cut this fool!”
The hero stepped into the dim light of the alley, letting the civilian see their ‘savior’, Eraserhead. Only, to them, the man didn’t look like a hero. Not just from his plain looking clothes, but his eyes were covered up by yellow goggles and his smile looked more maniacal than comforting.
“So, do it.”
Both criminal and civilian were completely stunned by the hero’s response. The civilian couldn’t help but say, “Hobo say what?”
Eraserhead released his grip on his capture weapon. His composure looked somewhat annoyed. He lifted up his goggles, showing off a tired frown.
“What? I should be expected to care?” Eraserhead asked, his voice breaking through the silent alley like glass. “I don’t know him. Why should I save him?”
“Uh...” the villain hesitated. “Because you’re a hero?”
Eraserhead gave a curt laugh. “Heroes are meant to save lives, but that’s not what I am.” He took a step forward. “I’ve been trying for years to save people who I actually give a shit about. But they just won’t let me.” He took another step forward. “Problem children and problem staff. That’s all I have to look forward to, huh?” Another step. “Go ahead. Kill him. Stab him. Whatever you do, I’ll make sure you get it twice as worse.”
The ‘X’ villain darted his head left and right, not entirely sure what to do now. In a panic, he pushed the civilian right at Eraserhead. “Chinese Fire Drill!”
Eraserhead barely flinched as the civilian stumbled forward. When he got within his reach, Eraserhead gave a hard push, knocking out the civilian as his back hit the wall. The hero watched as the man had taken advantage of the momentary distraction, already reaching the other end of the alley.
But, Eraserhead didn’t bother to chase him yet. He liked to see them run...
Suddenly, a massive hand snatched the criminal, lifting him off the ground. With his mighty muscles, the figure slammed the criminal hard into the wall.
WHAM!
With the criminal’s eyes now showing as X’s, the figure sprayed blood that hardened as it kept the unconscious criminal in place.
Eraserhead let out a “Hrmph” as he approached the attacker.
“Kan, what are you doing here?” the teacher asked. “This isn’t your patrol route...” He paused. “Actually, wait, never mind. I really don’t care.”
“I was watching you back there,” Vlad King said, turning toward the man. “You didn’t relent at all with all of the criminals you fought tonight.”
Eraserhead arched an eyebrow. “You were? Your stealth is better than I thought.” He gripped his capture weapon. “But, I don’t like being followed. Not even from you. What do you want?”
The bloody hero explained, “I wanted to talk to you. It’s about your fight with Shirakumo.”
Eraserhead’s eye twitched. “Of course, that idiot would tell that shit to anyone.” The man turned his back to his colleague. “I don’t need a lecture or some half-baked advice. If that’s all you came here for, we’re done.” He didn’t wait for Vlad King’s answer, already starting to return the way he came.
“On the contrary, I actually believe you’re in the right here.”
That sentence did make Eraserhead pause mid-step. “You do?”
Vlad King hummed. He put his hands behind his back, walking past Eraserhead as if he was in a lecture. It was an uncharacteristic move Eraserhead wouldn’t have thought the teacher would have done. Vlad King explained, “While I do believe in the value of freedom and using the abilities you’re gifted with, I have learned in my time that there are certain... individuals who need our guidance to understand the freedom they have.”
Eraserhead echoed, “Our?”
“Yes, I hope that you will join me,” Vlad King said. “As a hero, you have trained to stop injustice in the world. And, I intend on correcting a critical one. One that this hero society has failed to see as their own fault. One that this hero society caused from their own hubris.”
“And what could that be?”
“The imprisonment of every person who had been punished for the use of their power. Starting with the most secure institution of them all.”
“Tartarus?”
Vlad King confirmed, “Tartarus. Where All for One resides.”
Eraserhead’s full attention was on that detail. “All for One?”
“Yes, who else would be willing to overturn this society more than him?"
A moment of silence passed as Eraserhead put it all together. The man stated simply, “You’re the one after Shu.”
“Correct.” Vlad King replied, turning toward him, showing a strange calmness in his expression.
“You wanted to keep him at UA for a reason.”
Vlad King explained, “I don’t intend on hurting the boy. I chased after him because I wanted to show his gift to the world. I didn’t anticipate him going to UA of all places, but now that he was there, I figured it would be useful to us. After all...” He stared into Eraserhead’s eyes with a dangerous glint in his own. “Our liberation will need an army.”
Eraserhead stared at Vlad King, trying to discern all of what he had just said. His colleague had just admitted to wanting to commit a serious crime. And, not just any crime. One that involved All for One, the villain mastermind responsible for all of the attacks his class had suffered.
This wasn’t Vlad King. Eraserhead knew that in all of his years, he would never even think of something like this.
Whatever the man in front of Eraserhead was planning, it was dangerous and horrifying.
And, instead of immediately wrapping the man with his capture weapon and calling the police, Eraserhead let out a devilish grin. An unfamiliar warm feeling welled up in his chest as he tried to hide his smile under his capture weapon.
Vlad King smirked, “I know your mind and heart has been opened by the boy’s gift. I know you see that my goals align with yours.”
It was true. His mind was thinking of solutions that he had never considered before. There was a small voice in the back of the hero’s mind telling him that this was wrong, that doing this would label him a villain and defy everything that he had been teaching to his kids.
Except, there was still logic and reasoning to him. It was colder and more guided, more logical and rational than anything before.
“Oboro died back then all on his own... but All for One was the one who brought him back...”
His mind had formed a goal.
After all, Oboro was the one to compare him to Shigaraki...
If Eraserhead was acting like a villain... he might as well become one fully.
Vlad King held out a hand. “Would you be willing to join us?”
The voice inside Eraserhead was drowned out by the one that knew he was never meant to be a hero anyway.
Eraserhead shook it, ending the deal with words that he would have never said before.
“I’m in. Let’s free All for One.”