After another moment, they were quiet again. Midoriya waited patiently for anyone to speak to get the ball rolling as he didn't want to put any more pressure on them. He understood that this was a delicate matter.
"I was so scared," Uraraka's voice was small. "Everything happened so fast, and we all got separated. I fell into the lake and some water Villain was coming right for me…ready to eat me. Tsuyu saved me just in the nick of time. Then, I almost died two more times. Once by the lead Villain and then Nomu. I just…felt so helpless, I–"
Uraraka choked and her eyes watered. Without thinking, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu acted with the former grabbing her right hand while the latter wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders to hold her tightly.
A short moment passed as the super-soldier and heiress gently consoled the Zero Gravity user.
Ashido clenched her hands, which were still bandaged, on her knees. "I had to fight my fair share of baddies in the Downpour Zone with Midoriya and Mineta… It was pretty scary. And the looks some of those creeps were giving me." She shuddered.
Kirishima rubbed her back in circles to soothe her, and she immediately leaned towards him in response.
"Kero…I had a nightmare about that lead Villain last night." Asui admitted in a hushed tone. "He got me, Ochako, and Kyoka… It felt so real…"
Sero, who was sitting close to her, frowned empathetically. He was sitting right by her and wanted to comfort her…but he didn't want to make things awkward either.
"It's okay. None of us were killed." Midoriya said firmly. "That's what matters."
"Honestly," Iida lowered his head, "I know what I did was the right thing, running away to get help…but I still can't help but feel ashamed of myself for leaving all of you behind. Is…that wrong?"
Midoriya shook his head. "No, it's not. Retreat is never easy. But sometimes, it's the only choice we have. Like I said yesterday, Iida, if the Pros hadn't shown up when they did, the lead Villains likely would have escaped using Kurogiri's warpgate. That's thanks to you."
Iida smiled a little. "Yes…I suppose that is one silver lining to be taken from this."
Kirishima sighed. "I was with Bakugo in the Conflagration Zone. I had a couple close calls…but most of the bad guys we fought were pretty easy to beat. So…I dunno. For the most part, I personally feel fine."
"We're glad you were able to hold your own, Kirishima. You were a big help in that fight in the plaza." Midoriya stated sincerely.
Tokage stared at the floor glumly. "I got left at the entrance with Iida and Sero. I didn't get into any big fights, so I don't feel sore or junk. Is it weird that I feel bad about that?"
"You have what's called survivor's guilt, Tokage. And no, you don't have anything to feel guilty about." Midoriya reassured. "If anything, you were a HUGE help to all of us."
"Yeah!" Uraraka perked up, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. "You saved me, Tsuyu, and Kyoka from that lead Villain! You sacrificed your arm and gave Midori-kun time to get him away from us."
"You and Sero also pulled Uraraka-chan and I out of harm's way from the debris Nomu threw at us." Yaoyorozu added, smiling softly.
"And you returned my shield to me, and pointed everyone toward the plaza to back us up." Midoriya smiled confidently. "Trust me, you were the MVP yesterday. If anything, we're glad that you weren't hurt."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. Tokage's smile slowly returned.
"Also," Sero spoke up, "if you feel guilty, I should feel guilty too since I feel fine."
"Same here." Kirishima added.
"Me too." Kaminari slumped his shoulders. "I was able to electrocute or bash everyone around me with my new costume and batons, so I didn't really get hurt much."
"Yeah, you were pretty cool, Denki." Pony looked at him, beaming.
"Y-you think so, Pony?" Kaminari's face flushed a bit.
Jiro glanced up and looked between the two blondes, feeling an unpleasant feeling arise in her chest. 'What the hell? Are they using their first names!?'
"Preach!" Ashido exclaimed. "But seriously, Tokage, don't let this get you down. You were awesome! The same goes for the rest of you too."
Tokage grinned toothly. "Thanks, guys. And please…just call me Setsuna. After what happened yesterday, I'm more than comfortable being on a first name basis."
"Same here!" Ashido grinned brightly. "For now on, you guys call me Mina. I insist!"
"I'd listen to her. Trust me," Kirishima sweat-dropped a bit.
"Since we're on the subject, all of you can just call me Pony." Tsunotori chimed. "I honestly prefer it, actually."
With that, the group unanimously agreed to use the three girls' given names when around one another.
Midoriya smiled; it was good to see his friends being so supportive of each other and strengthening their bonds. At the mention of 'given names', he glanced at Uraraka and Yaoyorozu beside him, recalling what he and the brunette had talked about last night. The verdette internally decided that he'd pull the two girls aside later in the evening to discuss that topic privately.
"With all that said," Midoriya returned his attention to his friends, "none of you should feel down. We'll grow and learn from this."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Urarka sniffled as she straightened up, drying her tears. "I'm happy all of us are safe."
"Kero, me too. I'm thankful no one was seriously hurt. Actually, I think you four," Asui pointed to Midoriya, Tsunotori, Ashido, and Jiro, "had the worst injuries any of us had. How are you recovering?"
Midoriya shrugged. "My healing factor is enhanced, so I'm further along than most people would be. I feel okay."
Ashido held up her bandaged hands. "My hands will be fine. Recovery Girl said she'd give me one last treatment when we get back on Thursday, and then I'll be fully healed."
Tsunotori motioned to her head. "My head doesn't hurt anymore, and my horns should be fully grown back by Thursday. I've been drinking lots of milk to recover all the lost calcium."
Jiro chimed in. "Yeah, my eardrums were a bit damaged, and I suffered a minor concussion hitting my head on the ground after Midoriya's crazy attack."
Midoriya winced a little. "I'm sorry, Jiro-san…"
Jiro shook her head, smiling. "Don't be. Recovery Girl fixed me up and nothing's permanently damaged. But, while we're talking about it, what the heck was that move, Midoriya-san?"
The group turned their attention to the verdette, equally curious.
"Well, my shield absorbs kinetic energy…and it absorbed a LOT when I was blocking Nomu's punches–"
"Hold on!" Kaminari cut in. "Is that what that loud bell sound everyone was hearing?"
"Yeah. When hit with enough force, it'll produce a booming sound like what most of you heard. Anyways, Nomu hit my shield so hard and so many times it was humming and shimmering. It's never done that before…but considering the shield's properties–"
"You figured you could channel the shield's stored up kinetic energy against Nomu." Yaoyorozu finished.
Midoriya nodded in confirmation. "It was risky, I know. But we were in a pretty dire situation."
"Well, it worked out in the end. So nothing to stress over." Kirishima noted.
"Still, that attack was freaking insane!" Tokage blurted. "Can you use that move anytime you want or what?"
"No, I can't." The verdette responded. "The shield would have to absorb a ton of kinetic energy as a catalyst for me to pull that attack off again. And not many foes are going to be dishing out blows as strong as All Might and Nomu…thankfully."
"True, but that kind of is a shame though." Sero said. "Otherwise, that'd make a killer Ultimate Move or something."
"Maybe you can ask the people who made your costume for suggestions on that?" Asui suggested.
'Well, SHIELD will have to repair my suit anyway. Besides, there's actually a couple changes I could make while I'm at it.' Midoriya internally mused.
"I'll look into it, Asu–uh, Tsuyu." He corrected himself.
"Good, you're learning, kero." Asui smiled the best she could. "By the way, Midoriya, you should know something."
"Oh, what's that?"
"You're still holding Ochako's hand."
Midoriya blinked and looked down, realizing that he indeed was holding the brunette's hand. "O-Oh! S-sorry!" He quickly pulled away. "I-I didn't mean to–"
Uraraka interrupted with a giggle as her blush marks turned a bit darker. "I-It's fine, Midori-kun. Don't worry about it." She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she felt disappointed when Midoriya pulled his hand away.
Dismissing that thought, she looked between the verdette and ravenette sitting on either side and smiled softly, "Thank you both, I really appreciate it."
Yaoyorozu smiled kindly and squeezed her in a one-arm hug, inadvertently pressing her impressive bust into Uraraka's left side–flustering the brunette girl further. "Anytime."
"Y-Yeah…what she said." Midoriya turned away with some pink on his freckled face.
Tokage, Ashido, and Tsunotori glanced between each other and grinned as they silently communicated, "So cute~".
Yaoyorozu looked between Midoriya and Uraraka thoughtfully, feeling a nagging emotion at the back of her head. 'Strange… This vaguely reminds me of a book I read recently. What was it called?' Unable to remember, the heiress made a mental note to search through her personal collection tonight.
Later, after everyone composed themselves, they settled down into their seats and read their respective books. Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu sat together on a couch while everyone else was spread out taking up the remaining couches and recliners with Kaminari and Pony at a nearby table together. A comfortable silence passed between them, only broken by the occasional giggle from Ashido as she read.
At one point, the silence was broken as Tsunotori leaned toward Kaminari and whispered, "How's your book?"
"Oh…um, it's good." He simply replied.
"What's it about?" She inquired.
Kaminari was a little taken aback by her sudden interest. "Electric guitars. Has a lot of superficial tips and whatnot."
Tsunotori blinked twice. "You know how to play guitar? That's so cool." She sounded interested.
"Y-yeah? Yah think so?" Kaminari grinned. Maybe his imagination wasn't playing tricks on him. Maybe he did have a shot with this foreign girl after all!
As the blonde pair continued to converse, keeping their voices down so as not to disturb their friends nearby, Jiro glanced up from her book and growled under her breath. Why did that sight bother her so much? She knew it was wrong, but she listened in on their conversation.
After a moment of discussing their favorite music, Tsunotori decided to change topics. "Um…by the way, thank you again for your help at the USJ, Denki."
"It was no big deal." Kaminari played off, trying to remain cool.
Her smile dropped a bit. "I just wish I could've been more helpful to you guys."
Kaminari furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, hey, don't say that. You really went Plus Ultra taking down most of the Villains attacking me and Yaomomo. You were awesome!"
"Oh," Tsunotori waved off, "you're just saying that. After all, I overused my Quirk and was out cold for the whole final fight. You even had to carry me too." She frowned. "I was just a liability."
'Actually, carrying you was the best part of yesterday.' Kaminari thought. "Hey, don't let it get you down. What happened to you could've easily happened to me too."
Tsunotori glanced up at him, bewildered.
"You remember how I fried my brain during our first combat lesson last week?" When she nodded, he continued, "Well, if I hadn't redesigned my costume when I did, I wouldn't have been much help yesterday outside of shooting lightning everywhere and making myself stupid. I would have been useless after that."
"But you did upgrade your suit. You were a big support to Yaomomo, the others, and me! So please…don't feel down." She smiled softly.
"Alright, but only if you don't." He said slyly.
"Hmph," Tsunotori smiled cutely, "fine. But…only if you take me out for taiyaki and ice cream like you said."
Kaminari blinked twice. 'Holy crap! Is she for real? YES!' He outwardly grinned. "Deal. Um, are you free tomorrow?"
Jiro continued to silently eavesdrop on their exchange and froze up. 'What the hell!? She's actually going on a date with that dunderhead?! Does she not have any standards!?' She frowned hard and hid her face in her book.
With his keen hearing, Midoriya overheard Kaminari and Tsunotori and couldn't suppress a small smile. 'Good for them.' He returned his attention to his book.
Yaoyorozu had been in earshot of the blonde pair's conversation as well and struggled to contain her glee. 'So cute!' She squealed internally while squirming lightly, catching Uraraka and Midoriya's attention.
'What's up with her?' Both simultaneously thought.
As the heiress recomposed herself, she perked up when Kaminari's talk about his costume reminded her of something. "Midori-kun, Setsuna-chan…if it's no trouble, could I have a word with you two?"
Midoriya and Tokage both perked up at their friend's sudden request.
"Yeah, no problem." Midoriya replied.
"Sure thing." Tokage shrugged, carefree.
Both verdettes stood up and followed the creation heiress to the other side of the library to avoid disrupting their friends. Uraraka, Jiro, and Ashido watched them walk away.
"Wonder what they're talking about," Uraraka said curiously.
"Ooh!" Ashido's eyes lit up. "Maybe it's a confession?"
The others shot the pinkette mildly exasperated looks.
"I doubt that." Jiro deadpanned.
"I think you're reading too much into it, kero." Asui stated. "As per usual…"
"Not every private conversation has to be a confession, Mina," Kirishima pointed out.
"Agreed. Besides, it's not our business to know the details surrounding their private conversation." Iida sternly stated.
"Hmph," Ashido pouted, feigning frustration, "you guys are no fun."
"Who would Yaomomo be confessing to anyway? Setsuna-chan or Midoriya-san?" Sero wondered.
"Probably Midoriya-kun." Asui replied evenly.
Uraraka suddenly became alarmed. 'What?! T-that can't be! Does Momo really like Izuku? I mean, I can't blame her, but…' The thought that Yaoyorozu could potentially be confessing to Midoriya made her stomach twist into little knots. She didn't want to dwell on it; after all, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu were her best friends, and she was best friends with both of them; she wasn't jealous or worrying that they may fall in love and forget all about her–
She was jolted out of her spiraling thoughts when Asui tapped her arm.
"You okay, Ochako-chan?" Uraraka couldn't be sure, but she thought there was a knowing gleam in Asui's eyes.
"Uh, y-yeah," She hesitantly replied, not sounding convincing one bit.
"If it's a confession, why ask Setsuna-chan to tag along?" Kirishima questioned.
Ashido shrugged. "Maybe for support? Or she could be confessing to both?"
Uraraka's auburn eyes widened at that suggestion. 'If that's true…they'll definitely forget about me…' She sunk into the couch, a depressed aura wafting off of her.
Asui and Ashido shared a knowing look, silently communicating, We should stop.
"You know, Iida-san's right." Ashido sounded serious. "I think we are reading too much into this. It's none of our business anyways."
Everyone–sans Kaminari and Tsunotori–looked at the pinkette in moderate surprise. Why did she get so reasonable all of a sudden?
"If you really must know, they're talking about costumes." Jiro revealed.
"Huh?" Most of the group perked up.
Jiro pointed to one of her earjacks. "Sensitive hearing, remember? Anyways, it's not related to romance, so please…let's drop this conversation." She returned her attention to her book.
Everyone else accepted that response and followed her example.
Uraraka, meanwhile, felt her stomach knots loosen up as she straightened up, a sigh of relief slipping out. 'That's good…' She turned her attention back to her novel. Who would've thought a sci-fi survival thriller of an astronaut abandoned on Mars would be so interesting?
Ashido noticed Uraraka's reaction and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'I swear this girl is way too easy to read.' She smirked slyly.
Meanwhile, across the library, Yaoyorozu led Midoriya and Tokage to a small table where they could sit down. Midoriya noticed Yaoyorozu's school bag sitting on the table.
"So, what's up, Yaomomo?" Midoriya asked. "Is something wrong?"
The ravenette shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong per say." She turned her gaze to the other greenette. "Setsuna-chan, do you remember when we discussed the basics of your costume?"
"Yeah. I told you it was made by using my own cells." Tokage then paused. "Well, technically they're using artificial stem cells and accelerated growth, but," she shrugged, "a lot of that biomechanical stuff goes over my head."
"Hmm," Midoriya was jotting down something in his notebook, "Artificial stem cell technology? That's incredible."
Neither Yaoyorozu nor Tokage questioned where the verdette was hiding his pen and notebook as they were used to him pulling stunts like this now.
"I see. Well, I have something to show you." Yaoyorozu pulled out a manilla folder out of her bag and opened it. "This was my original costume design with notes from the Support Company that my family used, Detnerat Lifestyle Support." She slid over the papers to them.
'Detnerat? I've heard of them before… They just recently got into the Hero Support business from what I've read.' Midoriya recalled.
"Whoa," Tokage looked over the original leotard design. "This is pretty risqué. Were you inspired by Midnight-sensei or something?"
"N-Not exactly," Yaoyorozu responded shyly. "However, our Quirks do operate in a similar manner that requires skin to be shown. That's why I made the note in my request form to reveal certain areas of my body where fat is stored."
"Still, this is a little much." Tokage furrowed her brows. "Is that a bookshelf on your back?"
"What? Lemme see," Midoriya scooted closer to study the design closely, his ire growing by the second. "Detnerat designed this?"
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Yes. After reviewing the details of my Quirk and the notes I made in my request form, this was what they sent back."
"This design is utterly incompetent." Midoriya said tersely.
"No kidding. Your current costume looks way better, Yaomomo." Tokage agreed.
"It goes beyond just aesthetics. The design itself is dangerous." Both young women looked at him curiously, and he explained further, "The heels, for one. They're likely to damage your feet and ankles out in the field. Also, too many of your joints and vulnerable areas are exposed. And, lastly, there's the rigid shelf mounted on your back. That's a huge danger. Land from a fall the wrong way and you could break your spine."
Yaoyorozu paled at that gruesome thought. She never considered any of those things when initially reviewing her original costume before. She had just blindly trusted what the professionals had made for her.
Midoriya frowned hard. "If I were uncharitable, I'd accuse Detnerat of deliberately eschewing more expensive materials and relying on exposure as a means of cutting costs–putting Yaomomo's life at risk. If I were being very uncharitable, I'd say the designer was too enamored with the idea of skimpily dressed young Heroines to bother doing their jobs."
"I get'cha." Tokage nodded in understanding. "So Detnerat was trying to cheat Yaomomo's family out of money, and the designer was a huge pervert. Great combination." She grumbled.
"I see." Yaoyorozu lowered her gaze. "I feared as much. I'm relieved to know I wasn't the only one who came to this conclusion." She clenched her fists under the table in frustration. 'I'll inform father of this when he and mother return from their trip. We'll cut all ties with that organization.'
"Is that why you brought us over?" Tokage raised a brow.
Yaoyorozu looked up. "Partially. The main crux is that I intend to reach out to the Support Company you employed for your costume, Setsuna-chan." She revealed. "I wish to have a similar one constructed for myself."
"That's a great idea, Yaomomo!" Midoriya's expression brightened.
"Not that I'm against it, but why're you getting a new costume already? Don't like the one Midoriya drew up for yah?" Tokage questioned.
"Oh, heavens no!" The heiress immediately squashed that notion. "I love Midori-kun's design. It's just…" She paused and recalled events from the USJ attack. "...like everyone else in the Hero Course, I need to do everything in my ability to become the best Hero I can become. If there is a way to protect my body without compromising my ability to use my Quirk, I'd be foolish not to explore that avenue."
Midoriya smiled and nodded. "I agree. If your new costume has DNA-integrated clothing, your creations should be able to pass through that material the way they pass through your skin. You can protect your vulnerable areas without handicapping yourself."
"You sure that's the only reason? You sure you weren't getting jealous of some of the other girls in our class for wearing tight full-body costumes?" Tokage smirked teasingly.
Both Midoriya and Yaoyorozu blushed slightly at Tokage's accusation.
"I–I, t-that has nothing to do with anything!" Yaoyorozu stammered.
Tokage failed to suppress her laughter. "Sure! Whatever you say! Ha-ha!" She wiped a tear away. "But anyways, sure. I can give you some input…on one condition though."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Can you let me borrow that Jurassic Park novel?"
Yaoyorozu playfully rolled her eyes, nodding. "Of course. It's no trouble."
"Sweet!" Tokage grinned toothily. "I'll return it as soon as I'm done."
Midoriya brought out his notebook again. "I can draw up something for you too, Yaomomo. If you want, I mean…"
Yaoyorozu smiled and nodded. "Yes, I would very much appreciate that."
From there, the trio bounced ideas off of each other while Midoriya neatly cataloged each of their suggestions and did a rough sketch of Yaoyorozu's new costume. A short time later, Yaoyorozu had what she needed to submit a request form for a redesigned costume.
Later in the evening, Yaoyorozu insisted that everyone stay for dinner. Like with lunch, the meal was expensive but tasted amazing; needless to say, nobody complained. Afterwards, the group was preparing to leave as the sun had set.
"I would love to have all of you over again," Yaoyorozu said as her friends put their shoes on. "Perhaps we could study for tests here?"
"Ah, yes! A wonderful idea, Yaomomo!" Iida nodded decisively. "We should organize study groups on weekends."
"The weekends before tests," Ashido amended. "We all need time to relax, too, or we'll burn ourselves out. But I'm totally down for hangouts with you guys!"
The rest of the group quickly agreed; they were about to head out, but then Midoriya stepped up to Yaoyorozu and Uraraka. "Hey, Yaomomo, Uraraka-chan…do you think we could talk in private before Uraraka-chan and I leave?"
Yaoyorozu and Uraraka were bewildered by his request until the latter's eyes widened, recalling what she and Midoriya had discussed last night.
"Oh, of course. It's no trouble." Yaoyorozu smiled kindly.
Ashido, Tokage, and Tsunotori looked at each other to have a mental conversation.
Think it's a confession? Ashido mentally said.
Not likely. Tokage shook her head. Those three are too damn oblivious to recognize their own feelings.
I didn't think people could really be that dense in real-life. Tsunotori slumped her shoulders. It's kind of frustrating honestly.
Ashido adopted a saucy grin. Well, we could always give 'em a little push here and there in the right direction. You girls with me?
All three girls nodded and shared knowing looks.
Kirishima sweat-dropped off to the side. 'I don't even want to guess what those three are thinking…'
The group-sans Uraraka and Midoriya–began walking toward the gate.
"Mind if I walk you home, Pony?" Kaminari walked up to her.
Tsunotori beamed happily. "Sure! I'd like that. Oh, do you want to exchange contacts too?"
"Y-yeah!" He hastily replied. 'Score!' The electric blonde mentally fist-pumped. 'Can't wait to rub this in Mineta's face!'
Ashido and Tokage looked at each other, their respective grins growing wider. Looked like the Oblivious Trio weren't the only budding relationship in their class.
"Tsk," Jiro clicked her tongue and turned away. 'Whatever. It's not like I should care…' Her head said one thing while her heart was saying something else entirely.
Asui looked between the blonde pair and purplette blankly. 'Oh boy…'
"See you guys on Thursday!" Ashido called out, waving back at the trio remaining at the front door.
"Totally!" Tokage shared a high-five with her, taking care to not hit too hard because of her hands. "Had a blast with you guys!"
"Same!" Sero said. "Is it weird that I'm actually excited for class?"
"Yeah, just a little." Kaminari jabbed him.
The group shared a laugh while exiting the Yaoyorozu estate and split up to head to their respective train stations.
Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, led Midoriya and Uraraka off to the side into a lavish parlor room.
"We should have privacy in here," Yaoyorozu closed a set of beautifully carved doors. "What did you wish to discuss, Midori-kun?"
"Well, before I get to that," Midoriya's expression portrayed concern. "How are you feeling, Yaomomo? Everyone else opened up a bit today, but I noticed you didn't really say much."
"Oh, well…" Yaoyorozu momentarily paused. "...I had trouble sleeping last night. Uraraka-chan and I had a close call against Nomu yesterday and I had nightmares about all of us in danger."
"I see." Midoriya nodded while Uraraka looked at her sympathetically. "That's not uncommon. Please, let us know if it gets any worse. Alright?"
"I will. But….that's not the only thing that's been troubling me." Yaoyorozu admitted.
The super-soldier and gravity-girl gave the creation heiress their undivided attention, patiently waiting for her to continue. Yaoyorozu inwardly debated if she should continue or not, but relented that it'd be best to get this off her chest.
Yaoyorozu lowered her gaze ruefully. "I…I feel ashamed of myself."
"Ashamed? Why?" He asked, confused. "Of what?"
"I froze up during the last fight. When we were pinned between Nomu, Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and their henchmen. I tried to strategize a plan of action…but I panicked." She frowned dejectedly. "If you hadn't been there, Midori-kun…I fear that we would have–" She trailed off and turned away, covering her mouth as tears brimmed her eyes.
Uraraka immediately pulled Yaoyorozu into a tight embrace, and the ravenette heiress broke into tears. Uraraka consoled her while Midoriya stood close by. Part of him wanted to hug the sobbing girl too, but he didn't want to make it awkward for his female friends. He hoped his presence would be enough to bring Yaoyorozu some comfort.
Moments later, Yaoyorozu finally composed herself and pulled away, still sniffling. "T-Thank you…"
Uraraka smiled warmly and nodded. "Anytime."
Midoriya laid a supportive hand on Yaoyorozu's shoulder. "Yaomomo, you have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I froze up during a crucial moment of the battle. I allowed my fear to get the better of me." She berated herself. "Someone or even all of us could've died."
"Yaomomo, don't you think you're being too hard on yourself?" Uraraka questioned. "Aside from Midori-kun, that was our first experience against real Villains. It's only natural for us to be scared."
"Maybe so, but…" Yaoyorozu lowered her head, frowning. "...I can't help but wonder if I showed my true nature yesterday. Someone who crumbles under pressure. Will I do the same thing when the lives of civilians are on the line? I worry if I have what it takes…"
A moment of silence passed by.
"Yaomomo. Look at me."
The ravenette beauty looked up as Midoriya's strong verdant gaze focused on her. "As a soldier who's seen his fair share of conflict, let me say that you performed admirably yesterday."
Yaoyorozu blinked twice. "But I–"
"You came up with a plan that neutralized the Villains attacking you, Pony, and Kaminari. You successfully treated Pony's injuries after she overexerted herself. And you provided excellent support during the final battle."
Midoriya went on. "This may sound hypocritical as I'm my own harshest critic, but please cut yourself some slack. We're still Heroes-in-training, so of course we made mistakes. There's plenty of room for us to grow and learn from them."
Yaoyorozu smiled wryly, brushing away her partially dried tears. "This coming from someone leagues beyond all of our classmates' skills."
The verdette shook his head. "I'm not perfect. Heck, I made my fair share of mistakes yesterday like getting in Thirteen's way when Kurogiri showed up. But we can't dwell on what we could've done. We can only control what we do going forward. So please, Yaomomo, Uraraka-chan…don't let what happened yesterday shake your self-confidence; otherwise, the Villains win."
Yaoyorozu sighed deeply as her smile slowly returned. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the taller verdette's neck to hug him. "Thank you, Midori-kun."
"Oh…a-anytime," Midoriya settled himself and gently returned the hug, resting his hands on the small of her back while her chin rested upon his shoulder. Feeling her impressive assets press against his broad chest caused his face to heat up, but he made sure to control himself. Now was not the time to get excited!
Uraraka, meanwhile, watched Midoriya hug Yaoyorozu with a warm smile.
It was weird. She didn't feel the twinge of jealousy when another girl–especially Tsunotori–got close to Midoriya. Seeing her two dear friends, who were two giant nerds in the most endearing sense of the word, comfort one another was a touching sight. She wasn't insecure or jealous, rather she started to feel some kind of emotion that seemed like a weird relative of "proud".
"Thank you." Yaoyorozu pulled away from Midoriya–much to her inner disappointment–and looked between him and Uraraka. "To both of you. I…truly am blessed to have you as my dear friends."
The verdette and brunette smiled and nodded, returning the sentiment.
"So, this ties into what I wanted to talk to you both about." Midoriya segued, "all three of us are good friends. Actually, I consider both of you my best friends. And, especially after everything we went through, I was wondering if we could use our given names?"
Neither Yaoyorozu nor Uraraka needed to think it over for long.
"I'd really like that." Uraraka said, smiling happily. "I'm really happy to have met both of you. It's hard being away from my folks, but befriending you two has made the transition to the city and UA so much better. Also, I really enjoy being around you two."
"The feeling is quite mutual." Yaoyorozu nodded. "Truthfully, before I met you both, I did not have much positive interaction with those in my age group." She smiled wistfully. "It's been…quite enjoyable having true friends for once. I am quite fond of the nickname 'Yaomomo', but when we're alone, you both may call me Momo if you wish."
"We're happy to have you as a best friend too, Momo." Uraraka chimed back. "You both can call me Ochako."
"Actually, Momo," he looked at the ravenette "Ochako has brought to my attention that she would like a nickname. You know, since you and I have one."
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu both tried to ignore how nice it felt to hear Midoriya say their given names.
"Is that so?" Yaoyorozu gasped. "OH! You're right!" She turned to the brunette and bowed. "Please, do forgive us, Ochako. It was not our intention to leave you feeling left out."
"I-it's cool! Really!" Uraraka became bashful.
"What nickname would be sufficient?" Yaoyorozu straightened up.
Midoriya hummed thoughtfully. "Well, why not…Occhan?"
"O-Occhan?" Uraraka repeated.
"Ooh, I quite like that name!" Yaoyorozu's eyes shimmered, clapping her hands together. "It's so simple yet so cute too."
The brunette looked between her two friends and then beamed. "Okay, Occhan it is!"
Midoriya and Yaoyorozu both internally gushed at how adorable she looked.
'Why am I suddenly reminded of mochi right now?' the verdette thought absentmindedly. 'Maybe that would be a good name?' He promptly dismissed that idea. 'No! That nickname is something a romantic couple would use.'
"Well, Occhan, Momo…you can call me Izuku, or whichever you prefer."
Yaoyorozu and Uraraka nodded and beamed brightly at him.
Midoriya's face flushed as his heart skipped a beat. "Keep at it, Cap, and you'll have two potential love interests." Coulson's words echoed in his head. He then recalled the instance with the bunny girl Villain's Quirk at the USJ earlier too, and the form she had taken in an attempt to charm him.
'Dammit, Phil…' Midoriya internally swore.
"Is everything alright, Izuku?" Yaoyorozu inquired, noting his reddening cheeks. "Are you hot?"
Uraraka realized she had been staring at the verdette and quickly glanced away before she was noticed, feeling flustered. 'Yes. Yes he is, Momo.'
"Oh! Um, it's nothing, Momo!" He frantically waved off. He needed to switch topics quickly!
"You know, what happened yesterday sucked for all of us. Those Villains tried to break our spirits…and even take our lives. But you know what I say to that?" The super-soldier held out his hand. "Let's grow from this awful experience, and become stronger together. What do you say?"
Both girls smiled confidently and placed their hands on top of his.
"I'm in!" Uraraka said eagerly. "We're in this together!"
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Yes. Let's become the best Heroes we can be."
Midoriya's grin widened. "Go beyond…"
"PLUS ULTRA!" They exclaimed.
Wednesday morning, two days following the USJ incident, UA's Hero department and Detective Tsukauchi were holding a faculty meeting inside a secure conference room. Faculty members were taking a seat at a U-shaped table with TV monitors placed on the wall in the front. Several members of UA's Board were attending online, including the university president.
"Dean Nezu, please read out the casualty report if you would be so kind." UA's president instructed. His camera was turned off and displayed only a circle with his initials on the screen.
The white-furred marsupial-like creature, Nezu, read off the file that Recovery Girl had given him. "Of course, sir. We had four students that required medical attention. Ms. Tsunotori overused her Quirk to the point of collapse. Ms. Jiro suffered a mild concussion. Ms. Ashido severely burned her hands while overusing her Quirk. And Mr. Midorya suffered four cracked ribs, five bruised, a sprained ankle, various pulled back muscles, and multiple lacerations."
All of the instructors present frowned heavily, a few bowing their heads in self-disappointment; Yagi especially felt the guilt swell up inside of him.
"Additionally, two faculty members were hospitalized. Thirteen luckily received a patch job to her damaged suit from young Sero and will make a full recovery. Aizawa had both arms broken, the skin on one elbow completely removed, and suffered a facial fracture." Nezu finished reading off.
The conference room was silent and self-recrimination filled the after the report.
"This is unacceptable, as you can imagine, Dean Nezu." The president bluntly responded.
Nezu nodded. "I concur, sir."
"How could this have happened?" Another board member, sounding like a woman, inquired via the video call. "Shouldn't the security alarms have triggered the moment those Villains stepped foot into the training facility? Why was there a significant delay with the response?"
Nezu shook his head, a thin frown on his face. "I'm afraid these Villains came well prepared. One of them, Kurogiri, used a warpgate Quirk to teleport himself and the other Villains into the facility while another possessed an electromagnetic-type Quirk that disabled our security systems."
"And what about All Might?" The president inquired. "Wasn't he supposed to be present at the time teaching for the class?"
Yagi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not looking forward to having to explain that he had recklessly gone over his time limit that morning during his commute.
"All Might was unable to attend the class on-time due to a one-on-one meeting that I personally held with him." Nezu immediately answered. "Considering Aizawa and Thirteen were both present and that Class 101-A's rescue exercise was taking place on secured UA grounds, I didn't see the harm in taking up some of his time."
Yagi turned to Nezu, frowning. 'Nezu… please, no. Don't take the fall on my behalf.'
Nezu went on. "It is clear this was a plan executed after months of formulation and gathering of common thugs and low-level Villains. However, if you and the board are hoping to find a potential scapegoat among us for this incident, then you need not look any further than me."
Several gasps went across the room as the faculty members turned to Nezu in subdued shock.
Yagi stood up in alarm. "Dean Nezu, that's not–"
"That won't be necessary." The university president interjected. "It is clear the blame cannot be pinned on anyone present here, or not here, for this incident. The simple fact that it was able to happen and cause injury to our students and faculty is what I find unacceptable."
The female board member chimed. "Thankfully, no one was permanently crippled or killed yesterday. Still, our institution's ironclad reputation will suffer a blow following this incident."
"This is the second incident with unauthorized personnel trespassing onto campus grounds in less than a week." Another male board member dryly added. "Perhaps our security system needs to be reevaluated?"
Nezu nodded. "I am open to further increasing the campus's defenses, however, I'm afraid there is little anything could be done against a foe with a warping ability."
"Fortunately," Detective Tsukauchi spoke up from his seat, "the warpgate-user, Kurogiri, and the leader, Shigaraki Tomura, were both apprehended with the rest of the 120 Villains that were rounded up yesterday."
"I suppose that is one silver lining to be taken from this." The university president commented. "Speaking of which, do we have any additional information regarding these criminals, Detective? What was their goal in all of this?"
"From all of the statements we've gathered thus far, it's clear their objective was to ultimately kill All Might." Tsukauchi replied. "Crippling and/or killing the students was a side objective to further taint UA's public image and reputation. As Nezu stated previously, most of the Villains present were common thugs just following Shigaraki's orders."
"Thankfully the group's ringleaders were sent packing in paddy wagons with the rest of the Villains." Snipe remarked, his voice distorted by his mask. "So we won't have to worry about them anymore."
Snipe was a 181 centimeters (five-foot-eleven) tall man with the overall appearance of a stereotypical western cowboy. He wore a brown stetson cowboy hat with a large "S" stamped in the center, a red cloak over a black tank top, a brown belt with a gun holster on his hip, and baggy dark brown pants with yellow chaps stuffed into grey cowboy boots with spurs. His face was covered by an old-school gas mask shaped like a horse's muzzle.
Yagi, a longtime fan of most American things, was constantly in awe of Snipe's ability to convey a western American accent in Japanese.
"The next unsettling news is the preliminary results we received from the bioweapon they had with them." Detective Tsukauchi informed the group.
Yagi turned his attention to the report in front of him. He read over the first several lines and frowned heavily. This was truly disturbing.
"The bioweapon they called Nomu was made from the body of a missing person." the police detective revealed. "It was heavily altered through various surgeries and procedures, including genetic modification that added the DNA of at least three other people to the body. This was how it came to possess multiple Quirks. It couldn't be called human anymore after what was done to it. It was more like a corpse being moved by residual memories and orders. Somewhat like a biological robot for lack of a better term."
Detective Tsukauchi and Yagi simultaneously recalled Midoriya's statement two days prior. It turned out the verdette student's observations were proven correct. The Nomu truly was a living corpse.
Yagi clenched his fists under the table, shaking slightly. 'Multiple Quirks…'
Midnight closed her eyes and laid down the papers. "This is twisted. Who could do something so horrible?"
"Someone with medical training, decades of experience, and years of experimentation with both genetics and Quirks." Recovery Girl looked apoplectic as she read over the file. The elderly Hero's hands were shaking with barely contained rage. This report hit closer to home for her considering her background in the medical field.
"It is as Recovery Girl said." Nezu inserted. "None of the Villains captured yesterday met these parameters. So the ones responsible for creating the Nomu are likely still out there."
"I see…" It sounded as if the university president was mulling over the disturbing report. "Is there any news on that front?"
"I and a few other Investigative Heroes are already looking into every registered doctor in Japan that fits the necessary parameters. We hope to narrow it down in short order."
"What if none of them turn out to be responsible?" Yagi asked curiously.
"Then we will involve the International Police and Pro Heroes from other countries." Nezu declared. "If we have to make this a worldwide manhunt to see justice be carried out, then that is what we'll do."
Yagi considered Nezu's words and nodded in agreement.
"Hopefully the monsters responsible for creating this Nomu can be apprehended sooner rather than later." A male faculty member commented.
"Agreed." The president said before clearing his throat. "Now, let's move on to the next agenda item for this meeting: the UA All-Star Games."
There was a brief pause in the meeting room.
"Should we continue the games, sir?" Midnight questioned curiously.
"The HPSC certainly wants us to proceed forward. However, the safety of our students is paramount." the president pointed out.
"We especially cannot risk a third incident on a nationally broadcasted stage."
"We can reach out to local hero agencies to beef up security for the event." Vlad King offered.
"We also have to be extra careful of who we allow to attend in the stadium." Present Mic chimed in.
"Dean Nezu, what are your overall thoughts?" the female board member inquired.
"As much as I would like to cancel the games, at least the freshmen events, I believe we should go through with them." Nezu declared. "We must show that as an institution that we have not been discouraged, weakened, or made fearful by the attack. Additionally, this is an important event for our Heroics students to get noticed by Pros as well as those in other courses who initially failed to get into the Hero Course to garner a second look."
"I am in agreement so long as the necessary precautions are taken." The university president replied. "One concern I have is if Class 101-A should be allowed to participate in the games. Perhaps it is too soon…"
"On that front, I'm requiring that all Class 101-A students visit Hound Dog for an evaluation upon their return." the Dean of Heroics stated. "I believe that so long as they are deemed mentally fit and not suffering from any sort of trauma, they should be allowed to participate. If not, then we can continue the All-Star Games without them."
The hyper-intelligent chimera gave a look to the Hero Department's psychologist.
"Of course, Dean." Hound Dog gave a short nod.
Hound Dog served as a member of campus security, but, in large part, his primary job was as a certified Trauma Counselor. He was there to provide support for Hero students and catch early signs of psychological trauma developing during their time at the academy. He normally dealt with third and fourth year students, ones that had participated in internships and work studies, seeing the industry firsthand. It was always possible that one of their students would see something in the field that would shake them mentally. He knew how to help and it was why he was at UA University to begin with. He wanted to help the next generation be prepared for the reality of Pro Hero Life.
"I believe that is fair and reasonable."
"It should at least reassure the public that the threat is handled and that we're taking the necessary precautions moving forward to prevent a similar incident."
"Very well then. The All-Star Games will commence as originally scheduled in two weeks' time." The president responded. "As for security, we can discuss the specifics in a one-on-one meeting soon, Dean Nezu. You may pass on the news to the rest of the faculty afterwards. For now, I'll prepare an official statement that the university intends to go through with the All-Star Games."
"Understood, Mr. President." Nezu nodded in understanding.
"If there is nothing else on the agenda, then I believe we can adjourn this meeting."
Yagi sighed heavily as he stepped out of the conference room with a manila file in hand containing the topics of today's faculty meeting. He was truly disturbed by what was revealed in the preliminary report of the Nomu's remains. Not only by the fact it was once a regular person, but the startling revelation it had been genetically modified to wield multiple Quirks. There was only one person he knew that could pull off such a feat.
'Is that monster really involved? I mean…a body was never found, but I smashed his head in. Could he truly have survived that?' The Number One Pro didn't have to ponder long before coming to a grim conclusion. 'What am I saying? If there's anyone who could survive those injuries…it would be him.'
"Hey, Toshinori." A familiar voice snapped him out of his musings. He turned to see Tsukauchi standing behind. "Do you have a moment to speak?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm free for a bit." Yagi responded.
The black-haired man smiled and nodded. "Why don't you follow me to my car outside. We can talk on the way."
The two men walked down the hallways. They passed a fair amount of non-Heroic students and faculty members along the way. The pair soon reached a stretch of hallway that was empty and silent.
'Naomasa mentioned he wanted to discuss something about Midoriya on Monday. Just gotta play it cool, All Might.' Yagi mused.
Tsukauchi was the first to break the silence. "The Nomu. I think you, Nezu, and I know who's likely responsible."
Yagi frowned pensively. "I already had my suspicions when I heard it possessed multiple Quirks. But…" his gaze dropped to the tiled floors. "...I'm trying to keep an open mind. It could always be someone else, yes?"
Tsukauchi turned to him. "Maybe…but his body was never recovered. He's already lived for so long. Who's to say he didn't have a method of restoring himself in the event he was critically injured?"
The police detective and emaciated Hero approached an elevator, the former pressing the down arrow button.
The haggard blonde didn't respond immediately. "I'm…trying not to entertain that notion…even though it is very possible."
The metal doors slid open and the pair stepped inside the elevator. Tsukauchi pressed a button for the ground floor before the doors smoothly closed.
"Until we can gather more concrete evidence that proves otherwise, I believe it's fair to say he should be the prime suspect as the mastermind behind the USJ attack…as well as the media break-in last week."
Yagi's expression hardened as he clenched his fists tightly. "All For One." He uttered the name with utter contempt in his voice.
Tsukauchi shifted his gaze to the doors. "I understand it's hard to fathom, All Might…especially after what happened six years ago. Believe me, I truly do hope I'm wrong." He rubbed his chin contemplatively. "Though not so much as a peep has been heard from him since the incident. Perhaps he's in a similar state you're in and is laying low?"
Yagi reflected on Shigaraki's words the other day, and the pure vitriol in them.
"All Might! This is your fault! Everything I have suffered…is because of you…and Heroes like you! I will kill you! SYMBOL OF PEACE! Wherever you are…just watch…as I turn everything you love…to dust!"
The unkempt blonde's brows scrunched up. 'What could have happened to make him despise me so much? He mentioned a master as well. Did they instill this hatred into him?' An unsettling possibility then entered his brain. "Or maybe…he's been molding someone to take his place?"
"Hmm…" Tsukauchi hummed. "His successor, huh? That's even more foreboding. Well, if Shigaraki was All For One's disciple, then it's good that we have him in custody now. He won't cause any more trouble for anyone from Tartarus."
Yagi nodded in agreement. "Right." That did make him feel better, but he couldn't shake a bad feeling he was having.
The elevator smoothly glided to a stop and the doors opened. They both stepped into the main lobby area. They glanced around to see no one was present.
"While we're on the topic of successors," Tsukauchi turned his gaze back to Yagi, "there's something I should mention to you. About Midoriya, that is."
Yagi tensed up a bit, but maintained his composure. "Yeah…what's that?"
"I detected a half-truth in the middle of his opening introduction. I went over the tape several times and determined it was when he gave his age. Strange, don't you think? Asking a person's age should result in a clear true or false response, not an in-between. I've been really scratching my head on this one."
'Damn…' Yagi internally cursed.
Tsukauchi cocked a brow, studying Yagi's expression. "But it seems like you're already aware." He pointed out.
Yagi exhaled deeply. This was one of the rare moments he cursed his friend's superb observation skills.
"Yeah…I am." No point in lying to someone with a lie detector Quirk.
"That so? Well then, why would his age of all things register as a half-truth?" Detective Tsukauchi asked curiously, keeping his voice down.
"I'm afraid I can't say anything regarding the matter, Naomasa." Yagi responded. "Please, don't take it personally. It's not that I don't trust you. Far from it. But it's not my secret to divulge. It's young Midoriya's."
"I see. Should I be worried about him?"
Yagi shook his head firmly. "Not at all. He's a good young man. I can assure you he's not a threat or anything of the sort."
The gritty police detective considered the top Pro Hero's response. "…Alright. I'll take your word for it, All Might." He relented.
"Thank you, Naomasa." He said appreciatively. 'Now please drop it.'
Tsukauchi's mouth curled into a small smile. "So…did you tell him about you-know-what the other night?"
The pair stepped through the doors and outside, ambling along the main pathway.
"Well…" he rubbed his neck awkwardly, "...I sort of got interrupted by his friends before I could tell him."
"Oh…?" Tsukauchi chuckled in amusement. "That sounds rather clichè."
"Yeah…hehe" Yagi chortled lightly. "Believe me, it was really frustrating."
"Well, I'm sure you'll have another opportunity so–" Tsukauchi's cell phone ringing cut him off. 'Now look who's getting cut off…'
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone, noting the caller ID. "Sorry. I have to take this." Pressing the accept button, he held the phone up to his ear. "Yes, Chief?"
Yagi and Tsukauchi stepped through the main gate and started walking in the direction of the parking lot.
Tsukauchi gasped as his eyes widened in shock. "What?! Are you serious, sir?"
The Number One Pro looked at his friend in concern.
The detective lowered his head as he listened to the chief of police on the other line. "Yes, Chief. I'm on my way back to the station. We can discuss it more there. I'll see you soon." He then hung up.
"...What's wrong?" Yagi asked cautiously.
Tsukauchi frowned heavily. "The police caravan escorting Shigaraki and Kurogiri toward Tartarus was attacked a couple hours ago."
Yagi gaped in shocked disbelief. 'What?!'
"Several officers were killed. A dozen more were seriously injured." Tsukauchi's shoulders trembled. "Shigaraki and Kurogiri were nowhere to be found either." He directed a serious gaze toward Yagi. "They've escaped."
"Escaped?" Yagi repeated. "How could they have—"
"I don't know yet. Listen, I have to head back to the station ASAP." Tsukauchi sounded urgent. "I'll keep you in the loop."
With that, the detective hurriedly made his way to his vehicle.
Yagi stood motionless, stunned from the bombshell dropped on him. How could Shigaraki and Kurogiri have possibly escaped? Their Quirks were surely suppressed. Did they have some kind of outside help? The possibility of the League being aligned with All For One came to the forefront of his mind once more.
"A TEXT MESSAGE IS HERE!" The sudden ringtone interrupted his musings as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone to read the notification.
COULSON: WE NEED TO TALK WITH CAP ASAP!
Earlier…Unknown Location
Darkness provided peace and comfort. He felt at ease. Like bats in a cavern or sea creatures in deep water trenches, the dark was his natural element. He watched the screens in front of him. The faint twitches of his and the good doctors' creations within their tanks and the whirring of machinery.
Radios and news stations were on in the background, ears perked and ready to receive any sort of news or tidbit.
The air cracked behind him. He recognized the sound. A scarred hand pushed a button for his seat to rise up and spotted a black miasma forming.
The Symbol of Evil sprung to his feet as two figures stepped out of the warpgate. One of them had bone plating visible on their hands before concealing it by putting on a set of thick gloves.
"Tomura. Kurogiri." All For One murmured as he stepped away from his throne, dressed in black dress pants and a white buttoned up shirt. "Welcome back."
Tomura wordlessly fell to a knee before him and bowed his head.
All For One's gaze shifted to the other one standing behind his protege as Kurogiri reformed into his humanoid shape. The individual was a robust man standing at 181 centimeters, (five-foot-eleven) decked out in a Musutafu police riot uniform with a black helmet concealing his face.
"Thank you for bringing them home, Crossbones."
Crossbones bowed slightly. "My pleasure, Supreme One. It was kind of fun actually, getting into a role and whatnot."
"I can imagine. Kurogiri, if you would be so kind as to take Crossbones back to his usual station." All For One politely instructed.
Kurogiri nodded and created another warpgate. Crossbones gave a lazy salute before stepping into the portal to places unknown.
As the mercenary exited the facility, All For One returned his attention to Shigaraki who hadn't moved from his spot kneeling on the floor. He noted the bandages wrapped around the young man's face and could only speculate about the injuries he had sustained.
All For One got down on one knee, placing a hand on Shigaraki's left shoulder.
"Supreme One, what's going on! My sensors are–" A cranky old voice blared from a speaker.
"Enough, Doctor Garaki. This doesn't concern you." All For One ordered, and the doctor remained silent over the intercom.
"Tomura, what happened to you?"
"…Master…I'm…sorry…" Shigaraki's voice was cracked and muffled by the wrappings. He was clearly overwhelmed with emotion.
"Don't worry, Tomura." He turned towards Kurogiri and gave a silent command. His faithful servant picked up the whimpering, ailing youth and took him to a small curtained-off medical ward across the mysterious facility. The King of Crime followed closely behind them.
The faint lights from the various computer screens and machinery revealed an array of horrendous scars plaguing his face and medium-length albino hair.
As Kurogiri laid Shigaraki on a bed, he floated to the other side, his golden eyes low and almost closed in regret.
"Master…" Tomura whimpered, his hand held out.
All For One clasped the appendage with his own.
"It's alright, Tomura. I am here." He said in a calm, soothing tone. "Please, don't talk for now." He lifted his hand and black-and-red prongs extended out of his fingers, painlessly piercing the youth's face. The scarred face man took a deep breath as his Quirks got to work.
He then focused his gaze on Kurogiri. "Obviously the mission was a complete failure." He said rhetorically. Shigaraki was trained to keep up with the most agile of Pros. He may not have had much experience, but his floor was far higher than any of the students attending UA University, especially freshmen.
"Yes, Supreme One." Kurogiri replied.
The black and red tendrils from All For One's fingers glowed in the dark alongside the computer screens behind the well-built man.
All For One exhaled in exasperation. "All Might…always the thorn in my side. I suppose we weren't as prepared as we should've been."
"I agree." Doctor Garaki's voice stated from the intercom. Hidden cameras and microphones placed across the bunker allowed him to listen and follow the conversation. "We underestimated them. Thankfully, we failed under that cheap 'League of Villains' name and not our own."
"Indeed." All For One nodded. "Too much is at stake to risk giving away our true name."
"S-Sir, if I may," Kurogiri hesitated, "we followed the schedule that we acquired from the campus. We even disabled the facility's communications and security systems. However…" His golden eyes looked down. "...All Might was not there."
All For One opened his mouth and then closed it, looking down at Shigaraki, whose eyes were becoming half-lidded, a side effect of Morphine Touch, Regeneration, and Bone Regrowth. He'd be sleeping like a baby for the next couple of days.
"Hmm… The media coverage is saying otherwise, but I will naturally trust your word over theirs." The Symbol of Evil said. "All of the thugs you and Tomura recruited failed. What of the Nomu I designed to kill All Might?"
"My apologies, sir. The freshmen students were more trouble than even we had anticipated. Some of them were able to defeat the ruffians we coerced and attacked me, Tomura, and Nomu. The Nomu was an unfortunate casualty."
"What?! HOW!?" The doctor blurted out in surprise. "And after all that work to make him as strong as All Might!"
All For One shrugged indifferently. "I suppose it can't be helped, unfortunately."
"Master…" Shigaraki's voice was slurred due to the morphine and stamina drain from healing. "...failed…I…couldn't…kill All…Might…" The youth's eyes watered up, expressing shame, self-loathing, and despair.
The very same eyes when he had found the boy.
With his free hand, All For One petted Shigaraki's head, and offered a warm expression…or the best one he could with his scarred face. "I am not angry or disappointed in you, Tomura. I am only glad that you and Kurogiri are back safe and sound. Please, rest. Know that you are in safe hands now."
The consolation seemed to appease Shigaraki as he settled back onto the bed.
"Thank you for rescuing us, Supreme One." Kurogiri bowed respectfully.
All For One chuckled. "Of course. I couldn't leave two valuable friends and assets to rot away in Tartarus."
The misty Villain nodded and turned his gaze to his ward "Will Tomura be staying here?"
"The doctors who treated his injuries did the bare minimum so it would seem. He's missing some teeth, his nose is still crooked, and he has several lacerations and broken ribs." He diagnosed.
"The healing will take time as it will consume his stamina. I will have Doctor Garaki hook him to an IV to aid the process as my Quirks do their job. So," All For One turned to his servant. "How was the Nomu killed? A lot of effort was put into creating that thing." A disappointed sigh slipped out. "A shame too."
Kurogiri shrugged or did the best he could as a humanoid mist. "The students concocted a plan. At first, there were only four, then reinforcements joined the fray. Their Quirks were quite troublesome." His golden eyes narrowed as a black tendril rubbed his dented metal brace. "Verytroublesome."
The scarred man dutifully noted the damage to Kurogiri's brace. It was constructed of a special steel-carbon alloy, one that was almost impenetrable. Odd.
"I am curious. What exactly transpired that ultimately led to your defeat?" All For One inquired seriously.
Kurogiri explained the sequence of events following their arrival in the USJ. From splitting up most of the students across the Disaster Zones, taking down Thirteen, Iida's escape, and reconvening with Shigaraki.
"With All Might not present and the Pros presumably on their way, we shifted our mission goal to killing as many students as possible before escaping." Kurogiri further explained. "Tomura targeted three girls hiding by the Flood Zone, but he was stopped by a girl with a body-splitter Quirk…and a man with a shield."
All For One cocked a brow. "A man with a shield? Did his Quirk allow him to produce shields of some kind? Similar to Crust?"
"No, sir. He was only wielding an incredibly strong shield. He did seem to possess a strength augmentation Quirk of some kind though."
"Hmm. Go on."
Kurogiri continued. "This student allowed time for his comrades to escape while Tomura ordered Nomu to crush him."
"I presume it failed since there are no reports of student casualties?"
Kurogiri did his best at a nod. "Yes. He was able to hold his own against Nomu for a time, and his shield was even capable of withstanding Nomu's blows."
"Did it now?" Well now. Such information piqued his interest. "There are not many materials that can withstand a force on par with All Might's attacks."
"...nor display immunity to Tomura's Quirk…" Kurogiri mentioned hesitantly.
All For One's expression briefly faltered in surprise. "What…?"
"That's impossible!" The doctor shouted over the intercom. "Decay is capable of destabilizing any solid matter Tomura touches! Theoretically, an object's Molecular Stability would have to be completely perfect to resist its effects! That's not possible for any known elements or alloys!"
The scarred man was silent, inwardly mulling over this revelation. "Are you certain that Tomura touched that student's shield with all five fingers?"
"Yes, sir. He did." Kurogiri confirmed.
"I see… Tell me, what happened after this student with a shield showed up?"
Kurogiri continued his debriefing of the final fight with student reinforcements showing up, the shield-wielding student killing Nomu in a spectacular sound-related attack, and finally the Pro Heroes arrival.
"Following that, we were unfortunately apprehended by the authorities."
"Hmm," All For One hummed thoughtfully. "It seems luck was not on our side the other day."
"Those…damn…brats…" Shigaraki slurred, the teeth he had lost slowly regrowing.
All for One looked down at the teal-haired youth. He could see it within those crimson eyes, even through all the morphine... hatred burned like hellfire. The scarred man couldn't hold back his smirk. He'd be knocked out before long. The poor boy needed a rant.
"Oh? Who are these people? Name them Tomura. Name them so you may etch them into your mind. That you may seek revenge for your failure. Learn from this, Tomura, and become stronger. Become superior."
"Didn't get…names…won't forget…faces…" He clenched his fists, his teeth fully regrowing as his bruises and broken nose healed. "...the exploding sh*thead…Endeavor's brat…and then…the one…who attacked me…and killed Nomu…that stupid…green-haired…freckled bastard!" Even under the influence, his eyes widened in hate.
All For One's grin dropped. His curiosity was further piqued. "Green hair? Freckles?"
"The student wielding the shield," Kurogiri clarified.
"Yeah…the f**king a**hole…broke my face!" Shigaraki growled; his rage barely contained. "F**king cheater! Stupid wannabe…Captain…f**king America!"
The scarred man paused, his smirk dropping to a thin line. He needed to know for certain now.
"...Tomura…" All For One placed his free hand on the crown of Shigaraki's head. "I'm going to use one of my Quirks named Memory Peak to briefly peer into your memories of the attack. This will not hurt. Just relax."
Shigaraki wordlessly nodded and rested his head back, his energy levels rapidly declining from the morphine.
The multi-Quirk user activated Memory Peak and his eyes turned a light-blue as a result.
Various images played through his mind. He saw everything that Shigaraki experienced from the start and end of the USJ attack. All For One's eyes widened slightly when he saw one individual.
…
…
It was him.
He may be wearing a different uniform. His shield may have a new paint job. But there was no mistaking that face. Those defiant verdant eyes.
He even saw Shigaraki's last memory of being punched in the face by the man after Shigaraki had blindly charged at him. The images then faded to black.
'It looks like you haven't changed a bit.' All For One mused sardonically.
He deactivated Memory Peak and pulled his hand away, his eyes returning to the original blood-red.
He couldn't hold back his toothy grin. "I see…"
"Supreme One…?" Kurogiri stared at the albino-haired man quizzically.
The Symbol of Evil petted Shigaraki's head. "Everything is going to be okay, Tomura. Please, rest up."
"Kill…them…all…" Tomura managed to utter before falling into unconsciousness.
'Yes…let hatred be your teacher. Vengeance is a powerful motivator. It will drive you. Strengthen you. Let it grow and fester. In due time, you will become a raging unstoppable wildfire that will destroy this world.' All For One sneered wickedly.
The failed USJ attack was an unfortunate setback…but it needed to happen. This failure would either make or break his protege. Either Shigaraki Tomura would crack under the immense pressure placed upon him, or it would make him stronger…and turn him into the world's greatest living weapon.
"Kurogiri," the miasma Villain perked up. "You may return to the hideout. Have yourself a drink. I will call upon you later."
Kurogiri bowed in gratitude and disappeared into a swirling warp gate.
With his faithful minion dismissed and his protege unconscious, All For One stepped out of the makeshift medical ward and back to his throne. As he sat down, he rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together.
His face suddenly started to morph and change shape. Not much detail could be seen through the room's darkness, however.
"It's been a long time since you revealed that face." The doctor commented.
All For One's mouth curled into a wicked smirk. "Today is a special occasion."
"...What do you mean?"
"I'll fill you in on the details later, doctor. But for now, there are several calls I need to make. If you would be so kind as to give me some privacy?"
"Understood, Supreme One." The line then went dead.
All For One's fingers glided across a keyboard and one of the monitors in front of him started playing an old video considered to be a classic around the world.
"~Who's strong and brave, here to save the American way?~"
"So…a man with an indestructible shield who shares his face and likeness."
"~Who vows to fight like a man for what's right, night and day?~"
"I wonder…is he a clone? An imposter?"
"~Who will campaign for peace door-to-door in America?~"
He shook his head, dismissing that notion. "No…the look in those eyes. The way he moved and wielded that shield. It could only be the genuine article…But how? Why?"
"~Carry the flag to unite all shore-to-shore in America~"
"Well…regardless, I am glad. I am on the precipice of total victory."
"~From Hoboken to Spokane~"
"It's only fitting that I be granted the opportunity to crush all of my foes…past and present." All For One chuckled darkly.
"~The Star-Spangled Man With a Plan!~"
"Brother…All Might…Captain America…None of you have any idea what's in store. No idea." A maniacal grin crossed his face as his red eyes glowed menacingly, signs of dark crimson skin vaguely present through the darkness.
Bonus scene!
Tuesday night, at 22:30 (10:30 PM), Yaoyorozu was in her bedroom sitting at an ornate work desk with a desk light and nightstand lamp both turned on. She was now wearing a frilly, baby blue night gown that stretched down to her knees with her black hair let down.
She was wrapping up one of her late-night personal studying sessions. The brilliant girl had discovered years ago that she retained information much better reviewing what she learned in the day before going to sleep. Coming to a stopping point, the ravenette beauty let out a tired sigh before closing her book on advanced chemistry and standing up.
Turning off her desk lamp, her gaze flickered over to her bookshelf across the room. It held her personal collection of books she read mostly for enjoyment rather than academics. At that moment, Yaoyorozu recalled the instance from today where she and Midoriya had comforted Uraraka in the library…and the peculiar feeling that followed.
'That's right. Something similar happened in one of the books that mother gave me. But which one?' She needed to remember, otherwise her curiosity would keep her awake…and she already didn't get much sleep last night.
The voluptuous university student sauntered toward the bookshelf. Starting from the top shelf, her silver eyes darted across the titles on the book spines. A moment later, still meticulously searching through her collection, Yaoyorozu was beginning to worry she may have been mistaken.
Then, she came across one book that immediately caught her attention.
"The Lord, The Lady, and The Maid."
Her eyes widened slightly as her breath hitched in her throat. 'This is it! I remember!'
She recalled the basic premise. A wealthy lord having a consensual three-way relationship between his wife and the young head maid. Keyword being consensual as all parties were involved in the scandalous arrangement.
For a brief moment, Yaoyorozu imagined herself in the role of The Lady, Uraraka as The Maid, and Midoriya as The Lord respectively. A hearty blush erupted across her face as a cute "eep!" slipped out.
Before she could chastise herself for such inappropriate thoughts, her gaze momentarily fell on the book's cover. 'I suppose I could read the first few chapters before turning in for the night.' She mused.
With red staining her smooth elegant face, Yaoyorozu Momo walked toward her bed and proceeded to read the book under the light of her nightstand lamp. The build up in the first few chapters was slow, but she knew it would ultimately pay off into a pure, lovely, and steamy threesome.
She was so engrossed in the literature that she didn't realize that she hadn't stopped until it was well past midnight.