Chapter 93 - 5-

Chapter 5: in any moment of decision

In the quiet courtyard of Shujin Academy, after most students had already gone home and the school felt relatively empty, Takamaki Ann spoke with her best friend, Suzui Shiho. They liked to get together after school let out to see each other, since they were in separate classes. The two discussed their favorite things and what had gone on at school, but as their conversations usually did these days, it turned to Shiho's position on the volleyball team.

"Whenever I close my eyes… my mind just keeps thinking about too many things," Shiho murmured, hands folded in her lap. "Nationals are coming up soon, so I can't get things off my mind. I just wonder… should somebody like me really be on the starting lineup?"

"Hey, of course you should! There's no reason to worry. Just be confident!" Ann reassured her friend, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Your skills have been recognized, and it's because you work harder than anybody else! Didn't you say you wanted to get a spot on the quirks-allowed girl's volleyball team in the Olympics?"

"Yeah… volleyball's all I have, after all," Shiho's eyes were downcast. Ann frowned, not quite sure what she should say to that. Shiho had so much potential, and she used to love talking about volleyball, but now… things were hard to talk about. Ann had a sinking feeling about why volleyball stopped being exciting, but… she didn't want to bring it up and make her friend's mood worse.

"More importantly," Ann decided to switch subjects, "how's that injury? It looked pretty swollen last I saw. Have you been icing it?"

Shiho's hands went to instinctively cover it, though her knee was already covered by a compression sleeve. "I-It's nothing, really," she insisted. "Stuff like this is normal since a meet's coming up. You don't have to worry."

Ann's frown only deepened, but she found herself unable to say a word. She didn't want to push the matter and make Shiho mad at her. She was going to ask about a new line of clothes that came out recently and suggest they both go and try them on, maybe get crepes after, but before she could, their time together was interrupted. A boy from Ann's homeroom came up - their class rep Mishima, as a matter of fact. He looked a little beat up too, a bandage stretched across his cheek and bags under his eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui-san, but, um… Kamoshida-sensei told me to come and get you," Mishima murmured. The look on Shiho's face when he said so was nothing short of fear, and Ann felt like a rock had settled in her stomach.

"What… what does he want?"

"He didn't say," Mishima said, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Ann, I…" Shiho trailed off, unable to say whatever it was she had on her mind. Ann hated seeing her like this. She had to do something to reassure her, to make her feel better.

"I'm sure it's fine!" Ann blurted the first thing that came to mind. "He must want to talk about the starting lineup!"

Shiho… didn't look very reassured. In fact, she almost looked worse. But she plastered on an exhausted smile and nodded anyway, and off she went, trailing behind Mishima to go and see Kamoshida. Ann could only watch her friend leave, disheartened but not ready to give up trying to cheer her friend up just yet.

"Hang in there, Shiho," she murmured. It was all she could do for now.

As Izuku got off the train to Yongen-Jaya, he texted Torino that he was back in the neighborhood and would be home soon. But to his surprise, Torino texted him back to say that he wasn't home right now - he was getting dinner at a little café elsewhere in the neighborhood that belonged to an old friend of his, and Izuku was welcome to come and meet him there if he liked, accompanied by a set of directions on how to get there from the apartments.

Izuku followed the directions to the café, which had a sign above it that read 'Leblanc.' Izuku pushed the door open and heard a small bell jingle, to which he was welcomed in by an older man behind the counter of the coffee bar. The whole café smelled delicious, like curry and coffee, and Izuku was sure his stomach would be rumbling if he hadn't just gotten back from eating with Ryuji. He saw Torino sitting in a booth towards the back, and Izuku went to join him.

"This your grandkid or something, Sorahiko?" the man behind the counter who wore an apron snorted, amused at seeing Torino with a kid. "Didn't know there was a woman out there that could tolerate you long enough to have a kid with you."

"Shut it, Sojiro," Torino grumbled, sipping on a cup of coffee. "This is the boy I mentioned. The one who's staying with me for a year. His name's Midoriya Izuku. Be nice."

"Okay, who the hell are you and what have you done with Sorahiko?" the man, apparently named Sojiro, laughed. "You're telling somebody to be nice? That's a new one. Didn't know you'd gone soft in the last few years, old man."

"You're one to be calling somebody old. Aren't you pushing 50 these days?" Torino gave the man a look, to which Sojiro muttered something under his breath and turned to go grab something from the back.

"Um… I take it you two know each other pretty well, then?" Izuku asked, curiously watching the man who ran the shop. He was an older man, as Torino's jab had indicated, but he didn't look nearly old enough that Izuku would assume he and Torino ran in the same social circles. Unless the owner was also an ex-hero or something… Izuku just couldn't picture it. Clearly, Torino picked up on Izuku's confusion, so he explained just how the two knew each other.

"Yeah, we're, uh, old colleagues, I guess you could say. We both worked a job in the same place for a while. I was just security, though - hiring retired or ex heroes is a pretty common thing when security companies need temporary substitutes. I convinced this guy to start his café out here in Yongen-Jaya when we moved on, believe it or not," Torino pointed to Sojiro as he returned from the back of the shop. "His name's Sakura Sojiro. Make sure to pay him some respect, alright?"

Izuku nodded quickly. "Of course. It's good to meet you, Sakura-san."

The owner just waved nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah. You getting anything, kid?"

"No, I'm alright. I just ate, actually. Thank you, though," Izuku murmured. Torino took the time to finally look him over properly, and he stopped to study Izuku's face for a moment.

"… You look wrung out. Did something happen again?" Torino asked suspiciously.

"Oh, no!" Izuku quickly waved his hands and shook his head. Quietly, just so Torino could hear him, he continued. "It's not like that, Torino-san. I went to have food with Ryuji after we hung out, and, um, I told him I'm quirkless. He was… surprisingly cool with it. It just made me a little emotional… my family cries really easily. It was just happy tears."

Torino seemed pleased to hear the news. "Well, good. I'd hate to have to give the boy a thrashing if he was rude. Always happy to teach kids these days some manners. You should just get some rest when we get home, then. And… if you want that friend of yours to come over some time, I'll allow it."

"Really?!" Izuku asked, a big grin stretching across his face. "Thanks, Torino-san!"

"You really are a softie now, Sorahiko," Sojiro rolled his eyes playfully. "If it were me taking care of a kid with a criminal record, I'd stick them in Leblanc's attic and make sure there was no funny business for a long while."

"Yeah, that's 'cause you're as much of a hardass as you've ever been. Unlike you, I've learned when to be a hardass and when not to," Torino laughed. He laid out some bills on the table as he downed the rest of his coffee, then stood and picked up the cane that had been leaning against the wall nearby. "Alright, Midoriya. Let's get home."

Izuku quietly followed Torino out of the little coffee shop and back towards the apartments. The walk was quiet, and on the way back, he got a cheerful text from Ryuji saying that the other boy would be counting on him tomorrow… and that he was glad that Izuku was the one who ended up in the castle with him yesterday.

Despite what they were planning on doing tomorrow, Izuku couldn't stop smiling the whole way back.

That night, Izuku once again woke up in the blue velvet prison, chained by his hands and feet.

What had Igor called it again? The Velvet Room? Izuku supposed that made sense, but what he didn'tunderstand was why he kept dreaming about this place every night! Was this part of the cognitive world Morgana described? But why was he the only one to go here? Surely Ryuji would've mentioned dreams like this by now if he had them, too.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," Igor, as manic-looking as ever, sat at his desk and smiled.

"Um… hi."

"I wished to resume our previous conversation. That is why I have summoned you back here tonight," Igor hummed, drumming his fingers. "… You look like you have questions. Please, share your thoughts with me. I'm feeling rather transparent. I might even answer you."

"Is this place… part of the cognitive world?" Izuku looked around the cell he was in, spotting Caroline and Justine dutifully in their spots in front of his cell. Igor chuckled.

"You catch on rather quickly. Yes. This, too, is a part of the Metaverse," Igor nodded. Izuku's expression was thoughtful as his suspicions were confirmed. That at least made a little more sense as to why Igor had originally described it as a 'place between dreams and reality.' And it had confirmed that the cognitive world really was called the Metaverse. But that left his other questions about this place…

"And… why do I go here when I'm asleep? You said you summon me? Do you have Persona powers?" Izuku tilted his head. Igor chuckled deeply.

"Something like that, I suppose. One more question and then I'd like to get back to our conversation," Igor said, and Caroline and Justine gave him a look that said he'd better follow orders. So Izuku nodded, and decided to ask about Ryuji.

"Um, I have a friend who summoned a Persona today. Does he come here when he sleeps too, or is it just me? He never mentioned having dreams like this, so… I wasn't sure whether I should bring it up, because I didn't know if it was related…" Izuku trailed off. Igor chuckled again.

"I wished to speak to you about this friend of yours, so this is good," he said, tapping out a rhythm on his desk. "He does not come here, no. You are the only one. You are the one with the potential to thwart the fated ruin should you complete your rehabilitation, after all. I feel no need to bring the others here. However, that does not mean this can be done by you and you alone. Today, you entered a partnership with the one that awoke this power, did you not?"

"Um… a partnership? I guess you could call it that… we're just helping each other because we're friends, I think. And we both don't want to see people get hurt. And, wait a minute, how do you know that, anyways?" Izuku asked. Caroline smacked her baton against the plexiglass barrier that divided him and them, looking angry.

"Our master said he wouldn't take any more questions, inmate! Just listen."

"Sorry…" Izuku mumbled. Perhaps Igor had a quirk that let him know things about people without them saying anything? That wouldn't be completely unheard of. Or rather, perhaps it was another part of the cognitive world? It was all Izuku had to go on, and it didn't seem like Igor was being malicious or anything, so Izuku chalked it up to a quirk of the cognitive world - pun not intended - and let it go. It was less stressful than to think about it too hard when his life was already crazy enough as it was. He was just barely beginning to understand the Metaverse as a concept, after all.

He had heard that strange voice and saw that butterfly when he spoke to Ryuji about working together, though. Perhaps that was the 'partnership' Igor spoke of, and maybe it was a part of his powers in the cognitive world? Making these 'partnerships' into tangible things? It wasn't Igor's voice that spoke to him, it was a woman's voice, but…

"Well," Igor continued, interrupting Izuku's thoughts on what in the world was up with him, "either way, involving yourself with others is a key foundation to your recovery. You've done well. That said, I do not advise the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, form bonds with those who have been robbed of their place to belong, as you have. The expansion of this ring will help you mature in return."

Igor… was telling him to make friends he could rely on? Did he realize how hard it was to find one person who he could be friends with, let alone another one?! How was he supposed to just up and find an entire circle of friends who were suddenly cool with quirkless people?

"Personas are powers of the heart…" Justine murmured. "The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your personas will gain."

"Exactly," Caroline agreed. "There are countless people in the city who have talents that you don't. You'd better figure out how to get them on your side so we can change that into power."

Igor nodded. "Indeed. In fact, you should be prepared to use even me, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. Perhaps we should make a deal, don't you think? Work diligently towards your rehabilitation and I will grant you power in return."

Izuku still didn't really know who Igor was or what he wanted from him, but it seemed like Igor believed Izuku's role here was quite important, whatever it was. He wasn't sure if he quite believed the whole "stop the end of the world" stuff Igor talked about, but at the very least it seemed like the man was relying on him, and he could make his Personas stronger here. That was worth making a deal, Izuku thought - he wanted the power to save people, and his Persona would give him that power. He'd made a deal with d'Artagnan, so Izuku thought this wasn't very different.

"Alright," Izuku nodded. "I'm not sure what you want me to do to 'rehabilitate' myself, but I'll make a deal with you, Igor-san."

"Very good," Igor chuckled. "Then we have ourselves a deal."

And for a second time that night, the world slowed and the same butterfly from earlier danced once more across his vision. As delicate and beautiful as it always was, its wings fluttered, leaving behind a trail of light as it crossed his path and spoke to him in that gentle voice.

I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a newvow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakeththe chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Fool Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…

It must've been a power of the cognitive world, then, Izuku figured. He… wasn't sure if he should mention it to Ryuji or not, given Ryuji didn't experience these dreams like he did. Igor said as much - he was the only one who got pulled to this Velvet Room, and presumably, that meant he was the only one who saw and heard these butterflies. Ryuji said he hadn't heard anything earlier, either. The last thing he wanted was to come off like he hallucinated regularly…

Yeah. He'd probably keep this to himself, unless Ryuji suddenly started seeing the Velvet Room in his dreams too.

"You will understand everything in due time," Igor said, as cryptic as he ever was. "You should simply continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation as you have been." Distantly, Izuku heard his alarm clock begin to blare, and he knew he must've been waking up.

"This conversation is over!" Caroline barked. "Get going already, inmate!"

The next day, Izuku eagerly met up with Ryuji and discussed the plan: once the volleyball rally was in full swing, they'd both quietly excuse themselves from the sidelines and use the chance to search out the students on the volleyball team who could give them testimonies about Kamoshida's abuse. Not every class was going to be there, after all - this rally was apparently just for the junior high students, and Ryuji recognized some of the high schoolers from the castle as he'd trained with them sometimes.

Of course, it wasn't easy to excuse themselves given the junior high students were under a lot more supervision than the high schoolers, but Kamoshida had spiked a ball into the class rep's face so hard the teachers were worried it broke his nose, so it gave them the chance to get out by offering to take him to the nurse's office. (Poor Mishima, Izuku thought. He didn't know the dark-haired boy well outside of Todoroki-sensei informing him he was the class rep, but nobody deserved to be hit in the face like that just for a game.)

Once the rep was dropped off, the two of them went outside to the courtyard to talk plans. Although… "Get to know each other my ass," Ryuji muttered, kicking at the ground. "That rally was a one-man show to stroke Kamoshida's ego. As if junior high schoolers really stood a chance against an ex-hero. And he totally faked his concern for Mishima! What a douchebag… but at least it gave us a chance."

Izuku nodded seriously. "Yeah. We've got this. We just need to find a single person on the team willing to give us some evidence, and we'll have grounds for an investigation. Believe it or not, my guardian is a retired hero. We could probably tell him and he'd help us."

"For real?!" Ryuji exclaimed excitedly. "That's perfect! Let's split up to cover more ground, and we'll do that once we've gotten some good details, then."

The only problem was, as they discovered the more they talked to students, nobody was willing to talk. Everyone they spoke to clammed up instantly, though whether it was because of Kamoshida's power over them or they were scared to talk due to the rumors about him and Ryuji, Izuku didn't know. Either way, it was incredibly frustrating - that was until Izuku encountered a first year high schooler who'd transferred from another school and didn't know him. He clammed up too, but not before letting a good detail slip.

Apparently, their class rep had gotten 'special coaching' from Kamoshida that the first year said 'might've gone a little too far.' Maybe they could talk to Mishima about his experience with Kamoshida? Izuku didn't even know he was on the volleyball team, but it was helpful information nonetheless. Ryuji and Izuku decided to regroup in the courtyard after they were dismissed once an announcement signaled the end of the rally, so Izuku waited by the vending machines they'd met up at before they split up.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Izuku turned, and instead of Ryuji, it was a girl - Takamaki from their class. Izuku fumbled his gym jacket a little, not expecting a girl to suddenly come up and talk to him like this. "U-Um, sure!"

"What's up with you?" Takamaki asked out of the blue, hands on her hips as she studied him intently. "I totally know the whole thing about the school letting you start late on your first day was a lie. And then there's rumors about you being some crazy vigilante…"

Izuku didn't know where this was coming from or why she was asking about this, but thankfully, Ryuji came up to them before he was forced to address it. He had a defensive look on his face as he approached. "Whaddya want with him?"

"Right back at you," Takamaki countered, crossing her arms and staring Ryuji down. "He's only been in our class a couple days and suddenly you're buddy-buddy?"

"What, a guy's not allowed to have friends? We happened to get to know each other," Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets and stood in front of Izuku. Takamaki was quiet for a moment, and then she sighed, deep and frustrated.

"Look, all I want to know is what you two are planning to do to Kamoshida."

"Huh?" Ryuji's expression was baffled. Had word traveled that fast since they asked around about him or something? "What are you talking about?"

"People are already talking about you two going around asking questions, you know. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but nobody's going to help you or talk to you. I just… wanted to warn you. Just in case. That's all," she huffed, and then marched off with a shake of her head. Ryuji groaned in frustration.

"Why's she always so damn aggressive?" he muttered.

"Do you know her very well?" Izuku asked curiously. "You were looking after her on the first day of school too, when she got into the car with Kamoshida."

"We've been in the same class all three years of junior high, that's all," Ryuji shook his head. "We're not close or anything. Anyway, that's not what we met up to talk about! Did you get anything from anyone? I've got nothing…"

"Actually, somebody mentioned Mishima-kun from our class. They said he got special coaching that went too far. I'm not sure what he meant, but we can probably guess based on what we saw in the castle… no wonder he looked so beat up this morning… and then his nose earlier… we have to help him if we can," Izuku said seriously.

So the two went to speak with him. Only… what they learned from Mishima wasn't what they expected. When he told them the truth… their hopes of taking action were nearly ruined.

"Trying to prove he's physically abusing us… it wouldn't do anything. Everyone knows about it already. The principal, the teachers, our parents… they all know what he's doing to us and they don't say anything." Mishima had scowled at the floor, fists clenched around his bag, trembling as he told them the cold, hard truth. "Kamoshida has influence. Friends in the hero and the sports world. This school's only known for its sports teams and its students who graduate to hero schools, you know? So don't be a pain. You of all people should know that nothing will help, Sakamoto."

And then he had left. Izuku and Ryuji weren't just at square one again, they were behind square one. If everyone refused to talk and this was being actively covered up by the faculty and families of students, telling Torino or the police wouldn't help anything. They wouldn't find proof either, and it was Ryuji and Izuku's word against an ex-hero's. What could they even do against Kamoshida? They had no proof, and like Mishima said, Kamoshida had influence. Nobody wanted to risk their spot on the winning team or the chance to get into a hero school.

And that… felt a lot more like Aldera than Izuku wanted to admit. When he went back to Torino's apartments after school that day, Izuku… felt more defeated than he had since this whole thing started.

But even so, he wasn't about to give up any time soon.

The next day after school, Ryuji and Izuku were both stumped as to how to proceed. Ryuji thought they might try asking Takamaki about a friend of hers on the volleyball team, but decided against it in the end. Izuku had no idea what to do either, honestly. But they planned to meet up in the courtyard again to see if they could figure something out.

On his way out to meet Ryuji, Izuku ran into a tall girl with long, black hair and a bruise above her eye milling about in front of the door. When she saw him, she startled. "Oh! Sorry… I didn't mean to get in your way…"

"I-It's alright," Izuku shook his head. The bruise above her eye looked nasty… "Are you injured? I carry a little first aid kit with me if you want a bandage or anything…"

"No, that's alright. Thank you for offering. You don't look familiar, though… are you that transfer student everyone's been talking about lately?" she asked, her voice soft. Izuku nodded. "I see… well, it might not be any of my business, but try not to let the rumors get to you."

Izuku's eyes widened. "Thank you," he said, surprised by her kindness. "That's really nice of you. I'm doing okay, though. I have a friend who doesn't believe them, so I'm managing."

"I'm glad to hear that," the girl gave a weary smile. "My best friend is misunderstood a lot too because of her looks. People just like to talk, I think. But… sorry to drag on. I'm sure you have somewhere to be, and I should get to practice. Um, see you around."

Izuku watched as the girl retreated into the hallways of the school and thought that perhaps not every part of this school was like Aldera. There were some surprisingly understanding students here. Maybe it was because the school was supposed to foster 'heroic thinking' or whatever, but that was now two people who had been pretty nice to him. Izuku wasn't sure if he could include that short conversation with Takamaki on the first day as her being nice, or he'd have made it three people.

But Izuku couldn't stand around much longer - he had to talk to Ryuji about what to do next. He saw the blond pacing around outside the vending machines again.

"I tried talking to the volleyball team again, but they all said the same shit as Mishima!" Ryuji ground through grit teeth as soon as Izuku showed up. "Everybody knows, but they're all too afraid of Kamoshida to say shit about it! What the hell should we do…?"

"I don't know," Izuku admitted, slumping down into one of the benches by the vending machines. "I want to tell Torino-san, but I don't think he can do much without proof. He'd believe us, I think, but if nobody's willing to speak up and help us get proof… I think things will probably be difficult to change," Izuku said, remembering the time after time his mother had gone to Aldera to try and stop the bullying there. She wasn't oblivious - she'd seen him bruised and crying on more than one occasion. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the school to fix anything, and she couldn't afford a school change back then. It was only thanks to All Might's financial support that Izuku was able to go here to Shujin.

"Damn it… isn't there anything we can do?" Ryuji put his head in his hands.

"I wish we could use the Metaverse somehow… that other world. We had power there, y'know? We were able to fight back and witness things directly," Izuku shook his head.

"If only it was that simple…" Ryuji agreed.

"I finally found you!" A third voice joined their conversation, one that Izuku recognized. With a shocked expression, he whirled around to see… a cat jumping up on the table in front of them! It looked a lot like Morgana, except on all fours this time and not in an outfit. Here, he looked far closer to an actualcat. Well, assuming this was him…

"Morgana?" Izuku asked in disbelief. "Is that you?"

"That's right! Now, I hope you two are ready to help me." Morgana said. Ryuji jumped back a little in surprise.

"Dude, the cat's talking! The actual cat!"

"Will you stop calling me a cat?!" Morgana hissed. "I am not a cat! This is just what happened when I came back to this world! I told you I lost my true form! It was a pain to find you two… thankfully I'm able to traverse between the worlds all on my own."

"How are you talking, though?! Even if you say you're a human inside you're still taking the form of a cat, dude! You shouldn't be able to talk unless this is your quirk or something!" Ryuji balked. He turned to Izuku, desperately hoping he wasn't alone. "Please tell me you're hearing this too!"

"Oh, I am. I don't know how, but… Morgana's talking to us in the form of a cat." Izuku shook his head as if to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"That's not important right now!" Morgana huffed, looking annoyed. "Look, I overheard your conversation. You're having a hard time taking down Kamoshida like you wanted, right? I figured that might happen. Well, you were on the right track. I could tell you a thing or two about Kamoshida."

"This thing really is Morgana… that all-knowing attitude…" Ryuji grumbled.

"You doubted me?!" Morgana yelled. Ryuji and Izuku both quickly hushed the cat, looking around to see if anybody had heard them. Thankfully, nobody was paying them any attention, but some teachers were nearby, apparently looking for a cat… having heard meows.

"Can nobody understand you but us?" Izuku asked, quieter now. "They said they heard meows, but you're here talking to us…"

"I don't know for sure, but it seems like it," Morgana nodded.

"My life gets more confusing by the second," Ryuji groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "But if you're serious about knowing something about how to take down Kamoshida, you've gotta tell us. Maybe not here… this probably ain't the best place… Hey, I got an idea! Stick the cat in your backpack for a minute, Izuku. Yours is big enough to hide 'im."

"I'm not a cat!" Morgana yowled angrily as Ryuji picked him up. "Don't just throw me around!"

"We can't walk around with a cat out in the open," Izuku said sympathetically. "Would you mind staying in my bag just for a few minutes while we find somewhere better to talk?"

"Fine! But don't just throw me in! I can get in myself," Morgana complained. Ryuji just rolled his eyes and set the not-cat back down. Izuku unlatched his backpack and let Morgana in, who fit perfectly atop his books and supplies and didn't stick out at all. Izuku made sure to leave the top open a little to give Morgana some air, and Ryuji suggested they talk on the roof again.

So to the roof they went. It was still unlocked, and there were still desks up here, so they pulled a couple together, took a seat, and let Morgana out on top of them.

"You know, if you put a blanket or something in there it would actually be kinda cozy," Morgana admitted, looking at the backpack. Izuku wondered if he could get something like that for later if they ended up needing to carry Morgana around again…

"Man, cut to the chase!" Ryuji said, staring Morgana down. "We need to stop Kamoshida before he hurts anybody else."

"Like I said, you were pretty close earlier when you brought up using the Metaverse," Morgana stretched out, tail flicking from side to side. "You need to attack the castle. While Kamoshida doesn't consciously know what goes on in there, it's still deeply connected to the inner workings of his heart. Thus, if the castle was to be destroyed, it would impact the real-life Kamoshida too."

Ryuji was intensely focused. "How would it impact him?"

"A Palace is formed when somebody's desires become distorted enough. It's a direct manifestation of those desires. So if it were to be destroyed, what do you think would happen?" Morgana asked, hoping to prompt them into understanding. Izuku felt like a bolt had struck him when the answer came to him.

"He wouldn't have any desires to do those evil things if they were destroyed, so… he'd turn good?" Izuku asked. Morgana smirked.

"You got it. You sure pick things up fast!" He said, sounding pleased.

"But that… doesn't exactly punish him for the things he has done," Ryuji murmured. He looked incredibly thoughtful. "I'd be happy if all we did was stop anybody else from getting hurt, but I feel like he should still be punished for everything he's already done."

"Not so fast. Erasing a Palace means the owner is forced to have a change of heart. But like you pointed out, the crimes they did commit don't just vanish. That being said, most good-hearted people would feel guilty about the kind of stuff he's done. Kamoshida won't be able to bear the guilt of everything he's done, and he'll confess to everything himself!" Morgana said assuredly.

"You for real?! That's possible?!"

"It certainly is! And that's not even the best part," Morgana grinned. "You see, since the real life versions have no idea what goes on in the Metaverse, the Palace will disappear without any trace of our involvement! We can bring down Kamoshida and nobody will be any the wiser."

"This sounds a lot like actual vigilantism…" Izuku worried his lip between his teeth. He was admittedly concerned about getting caught and charged all over again, but at this point, he'd already jumped straight into the deep end. Izuku couldn't possibly let things go now that he knew the truth about Kamoshida and his abuse and how the school let it go on. "… But I'm already considered a vigilante, right? Just like you said, Ryuji. No sense crying over spilled milk. How do we take down this Palace?"

"Hell yeah, that's the spirit!" Ryuji cheered.

Morgana seemed to approve of their motivation. "We take down the Palace by stealing the treasure held within. That's what I was talking about when I mentioned phantom thievery. Phantom thieves don't burglarize houses or rob museums, we take down Palaces."

Izuku's eyes widened with realization - so then Igor must've been speaking about the same thing! But… how did Igor and Morgana both know about phantom thievery? Was this another instance of Igor just… knowing things somehow? And for that matter, now that he was thinking about it, how did Morgana get involved with all of this? He said he was a human turned cat thanks to the distortions of the Metaverse taking away his true form, but… who was he before that? How did he come to be a phantom thief? A million questions ran through Izuku's head, but he didn't have the chance to speak on any of them before Morgana continued speaking.

"But! I'll only tell you more if you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable, secret plan, after all," Morgana said, looking up at Ryuji and Izuku. "I'll teach you all you need to know if you help me out. What do you say?"

"I mean, I don't think we have any other options, so I say let's do it," Ryuji looked quite determined to finally put into action a plan to take down Kamoshida.

"Yeah. We can't get testimonies, our cameras don't work in the Metaverse, and trying to get proof in the real world is way too dangerous. I think it's the only way too," Izuku agreed.

"Actually, there is one thing you should know before you agree," Morgana spoke, looking deadly serious all of a sudden. "And it's important. When you destroy a Palace, of course the ruler's distorted desires will disappear as well. But keep in mind that humans need desire to survive. The will to eat, sleep, fall in love - all of those things are forms of desire, too."

"What are you getting at?" Ryuji's eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm saying that if we're not careful about it, all of those yearnings could suddenly vanish, not just the distorted ones, and they'd be no different than somebody who's shut down entirely. They may even die if they aren't given care," Morgana explained, and both Izuku and Ryuji recoiled.

"They could die?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Wouldn't that make their death our fault?!"

Morgana remained staunchly serious. "Aren't you determined enough to take that risk? You said you wanted to save people, and this is the only option left to you. It's not a guaranteed thing that the ruler of a Palace would die, just that it's a possibility if we're not careful and make a mistake."

Worrying about getting caught acting as a real vigilante was one thing, but murder was entirely different. The very thought that taking down a Palace ran the risk of killing its ruler made Izuku nearly flat-out deny the offer to help Morgana. For a moment, he even thought about never touching anything to do with the Metaverse again. And yet…

Izuku also couldn't get the looks in the volleyball team members' eyes off of his mind. Like Kacchan being choked by the sludge villain, and like Ryuji who'd nearly been killed by the Palace's Kamoshida, they too had looked genuinely terrified. They were being abused regularly, with nobody - not even their families - advocating for them. They were forced to suffer, day in and day out, being injured and having to live with it because there was nothing they could do.

And that… hit a little too close to home for Izuku. He was completely torn on what the right thing to do in this situation would be.

"I… I don't know. I don't want to kill him," Izuku drew his hands into fists against his uniform, balling up the fabric and holding tight as though he'd drift away if he didn't. He certainly felt as though he would. "I would never kill anybody. Heroes don't…"

Heroes don't kill people, is what he wanted to say. But that wasn't always necessarily true. Sometimes, heroes did have to kill in their line of work if lives were at stake. And even if they didn't, 'heroes don't abuse people and think disgusting thoughts about their teenage students' was also a statement Izuku would've said to have been true before he came to Shujin. And that had been proven wrong with the existence of Kamoshida. Not all heroes could be All Might.

And even All Might had his own side that he kept hidden from the public. Izuku had seen it firsthand, on the day of the sludge villain incident.

"I came all this way and this is what I get… it's not like anybody's going to find out," Morgana said, and Ryuji immediately got defensive.

"It's not about that!" he protested, gesturing widely. "I agree with Izuku: I don't wanna kill anybody, simple as that! Besides, if we just ran around secretly, doin' whatever we wanted, we'd be no better than Kamoshida."

"Isn't this your only option to stop him, though?" Morgana asked. And for that, they had no arguments. Because Morgana was right… it was their only option. "Look, I'll come back a little later. Just make sure to think seriously about what you want to do from here on out, and have a solid yes or no answer for me by the time I come back. Okay?"

Morgana ran off without saying anything else, and Ryuji yelled a little out of frustration. "Damn it! Nothing ever works out! I… I'll see if I can figure something else out. C'mon, let's get out of here. I'm sure you have to get home soon."

So Izuku and Ryuji left. On his way to the station, he got a text from Ryuji mentioning that he heard some of their class talking about how Takamaki and her friend Suzui were… trying to get 'close' to Kamoshida. Except Ryuji had been with them since first year, and he knew they weren't the types - especially when they saw exactly how Kamoshida had thought about Takamaki in the Metaverse. They knew it was the other way around. So where had the rumors come from?

Izuku had no idea, and neither did Ryuji, but that was another thing they'd have to figure out how to stop. Nobody deserved to be thought of like that, to have that sort of vile act twisted around to pin the fault on them. As if they would willingly go after a teacher like that… it made Izuku almost queasy, knowing people would assume that about a girl who seemed genuinely nice. Takamaki had gone out of her way to warn them that people already knew they were looking into Kamoshida.

This whole situation was just beyond messed up. They had no testimonies, no evidence, nobody who would listen or be able to do anything withoutevidence, and their only good solution ran the risk of killing a man! Izuku was so frustrated he could cry.

On his way to change lines in Shibuya, however, he was surprised to see none other than Takamaki herself standing outside the station, arguing with somebody on the phone.

"Will you please give it a rest?!" she sniffled, looking quite upset herself. "I said I'm not feeling up to it… wait, what?!" Izuku couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she had that same look she had when Izuku saw her talking to Kamoshida the other day. Was it…? "That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! … This has nothing to do with Shiho! Ah…"

Izuku watched as Takamaki ended the call and hugged her arms around herself, looking like she was about to cry. Izuku quietly stepped up and handed her a tissue from his bag… being a Midoriya basically meant he had to carry them everywhere since he cried easily himself. "Um… are you okay, Takamaki-san?"

Takamaki startled back when she saw him, not accepting the offered tissue. "Were you listening?"

"Not on purpose!" Izuku tried to reassure her. "I was passing by and happened to hear you. You sounded upset, so I just wanted to-"

"Haven't you heard of privacy?!" she snapped. Izuku wavered, drawing his arm back. She was upset, he reminded himself. It wasn't personal. She was just… upset. She seemed to realize she had snapped at him and sighed. "I… I'm sorry. That was out of line. How much did you hear…?"

"Not much. Just that you were arguing with somebody," Izuku murmured. He could reasonably guess it was Kamoshida she had been arguing with based on the look on her face and the fact that she had called the person on the other end a teacher, but he wasn't going to assume.

"I just don't want to…" Ann trailed off, finally taking the tissue Izuku had offered her and wiping at her eyes. "Why do you even care?"

"I mean… isn't it normal to want to comfort somebody who's upset?" Izuku asked gently. He wasn't going to nose in if she didn't want to talk, but the least he could do was ask after her. "Plus… crying all alone is the worst," (He knew that one from personal experience. It hurt… a lot.) "It's better to know somebody cares than not at all, don't you think?"

Ann looked genuinely shocked to hear him say that. Finally, she seemed to shrink in on herself, looking remarkably vulnerable. "I guess you're right…"

"I know I don't know you very well, but… you can talk to me if you'd like?" Izuku offered. This wasn't even about Kamoshida any more - he just wanted to help Takamaki if he could. She seemed to consider his offer for a moment, then she gave him a look.

"I don't have anything to talk about with you. It was just an argument…" she mumbled, drawing her arms closer to herself. Izuku nodded understandingly.

"You don't have to tell me anything. I just wanted to offer," Izuku said. He turned away, prepared to leave and give her some space, but to his surprise Takamaki had reached out and grabbed his sleeve. She was quiet for several moments before finally, reluctantly nodding.

"I guess it would be better to get this off my chest… we should talk somewhere quiet…"

So the two of them headed past the square, down main street where he'd gotten beef bowls with Ryuji. This time they stopped into a little diner off to the side, and Izuku offered to get her something to eat, but she turned him down. She wasn't very hungry… not that Izuku blamed her. Instead, she just got water, though she was reluctant even to touch that, and he ordered a small side so he was at least giving them some business.

"So… an argument?" Izuku asked, once they'd sat down and settled in for a minute. "Was it… with Kamoshida? I've heard people talking, but I didn't believe them."

Takamaki scowled, hands pressed flat against the diner table. "So you've heard the rumors… about Kamoshida and me. Everyone says I'm trying to… to use my quirk on him and get it on with him… but that's so not true…! That's so gross that anybody could even think that…!"

"That's what I was thinking," Izuku agreed completely. "People just don't know how to keep stupid thoughts to themselves…" Izuku vividly recalled kids crying 'you'll catch his quirklessness!' when he was younger, treating him like some sort of infectious patient. As if they knew anything about quirklessness… people always liked to spout nonsense.

"Yeah. But that was Kamoshida on the other line. He asked if he could see me," Takamaki admitted, putting her head in her hands. Izuku could only assume the worst… if Kamoshida saw her like he did in the castle, and he wanted to meet up with her, then… "I didn't want to give him my number, and I don't want to meet him… but he threatened to take my friend off of her starting position on the team if I didn't! I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake… but I can't take this any more."

Takamaki hunched over, slumped against her seat. Izuku wished he knew what to say in this situation… he had no idea how to comfort her. He'd never been in her position before. She was being forced to choose between her friend's success or likely being assaulted, and against somebody who was notoriously impossible to speak out against.

Izuku wanted nothing more than to have d'Artagnan smash Kamoshida's face in with his musket right about now. It was the least he deserved for being the worst person Izuku had ever met in his life. And yet even so… Izuku still didn't know if he could risk killing somebody. He hated himself for it, for not being able to risk it without so much as blinking, but he didn't know if he could really make the same choices a pro hero made daily. He had no training, no experience with this sort of thing. He was only fourteen… probably the same age Takamaki herself was.

"Still…" Takamaki sniffled, snapping Izuku out of his thoughts. She began to cry in earnest, and Izuku quietly placed his pack of tissues on the table so she could cry as much as she liked. "Shiho's my best friend! She's all I have left at this sorry excuse of a school! Tell me… what should I do…?"

Izuku's hands clenched in his lap.

Was he even allowed to consider the risks in this situation? People were being hurt. People had been hurt for a long time. And people would continue to be hurt. Kamoshida wasn't going to stop unless he was made to stop, and right now, he and Ryuji were the only ones capable of doing something about him with the powers of the Metaverse.

He wanted to ask that very question himself. What should he do?

"Sorry… I shouldn't have asked you that. This isn't your problem," Takamaki shook her head. "I don't even know why I said all of this. I barely know you…"

"It's okay," Izuku murmured, pushing the tissues towards her. Gratefully, she took a couple and dabbed at her eyes. "I'm glad you could get everything off of your chest. If it helped you even a little bit… then I don't mind in the least."

"You're so weird," Takamaki huffed a little, finally regaining her composure. "Normally everyone ignores me. Like I said… they think some bad things about my quirk. You know, they say things about you too. Everyone says you're a bad person. Some vigilante with anger issues or something. But… I can't see it. You just don't seem like it."

"I mean… they're only half right," Izuku muttered awkwardly. "I might've done something stupid to try and help somebody once, but I don't have anger issues." (He was pretty angry internally, but he'd never take it out on other people. He hadn't even lost his composure on Kacchan after everything, which was certainly saying something.)

"I had a feeling they were exaggerations. You almost seem lonely when you aren't hanging out with Sakamoto… like you don't belong anywhere. I feel the same sometimes. Maybe that's why you're so easy to talk to," Takamaki murmured, drawing lines in the condensation of her water glass. "I wonder if there's really no way for me to help Shiho… I just wish he'd change his mind… Like, forget about me and everything."

Erasing a Palace means the owner is forced to have a change of heart, Morgana had said.

"You never know," Izuku swallowed thickly. He was becoming less and less sure about not wanting to take down the Palace by the minute. "Maybe it could happen."

"Maybe," Takamaki managed a forced smile. "But… I feel a little better now. I'm going to go home. Please don't tell anybody about what I told you. I'll… try and figure out a way to persuade Kamoshida to leave me alone. So, um… thanks."

Takamaki left, and Izuku felt more unsure than ever.

"You're home late without letting me know where you went."

First thing in the door, Torino was speaking to him, looking up at him and demanding an explanation. Izuku realized he'd forgotten to text him, but to be fair, he was a little focused on Takamaki at the time. Hopefully Torino understood. "Sorry, Torino-san… a girl from my class was crying outside the station in Shibuya, so I stopped to listen to her and gave her some tissues, that's all."

Torino sighed. "Alright, that's fine, then. Come on inside and have a seat. You want some taiyaki? I just got a fresh batch from the store today."

"Um, no thanks. I'm not very hungry…" he said, remembering what Takamaki had told him. "Actually… can I ask you a question, Torino-san? I've… had something on my mind lately and I don't know what I should think. It's not personal, just something I read about online. I figured you probably have experience with tough choices since you were a hero before, right?"

"More experience than you know," Torino said sounding somber for a moment. "What kind of tough choices are you asking about?"

Izuku wasn't going to give Torino any more reason to be suspicious. "Just something I read about, like I said. Somebody brought it up on a hero forum."

"Okay, well, let me get some iced tea and my taiyaki and we'll talk it out," Torino said, rummaging around in his fridge for what he was looking for. Once he'd gotten it, he set it out on the table, pouring Izuku a glass of the cold drink as well. Torino sat down, took a bite of his snack, and gestured for Izuku to go ahead and explain.

"So… let's say that hypothetically some people are getting really hurt by a villain," Izuku began, and Torino's attention was on him as he spoke. "But the only way to stop them from getting hurt runs the risk of killing the villain. What… would the right thing to do in that situation be? People were arguing about whether it was moral for heroes to take a life in the comments and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I know it happens sometimes, but…"

"Well… I'd say that really depends on the details. How are people getting hurt? Who's the villain responsible? Sometimes a villain's history factors into consideration for these kinds of things," Torino explained, looking deeply thoughtful, almost as if remembering something. "But, for the sake of hypotheticals, let's say this. A hero knows that somebody's life is in danger. If the life of even one civilian is in danger, then the hero has to take them down. There's no question there. They have to consider not just the best way to take them down, but whether they can take them down using nonlethal measures without civilian injury or casualties. However… if, in the event there's no other options left, that hero must make the choice to use lethal force. You know that, yes?"

When Izuku nodded, Torino continued. "Whether we like it or not, heroes exist to save people. And sometimes… killing can be a way to save somebody, as brutal as it sounds. The media doesn't show it, but heroics doesn't exist in black and white. There are many, many shades of gray that aren't talked about. If you know anything about underground heroes, then you know they get their hands dirty in ways limelight heroes usually don't, and it's for the sake of keeping people safe. Sometimes… the risk to civilians is too great to ignore."

"I… I see. So you think that the risk of killing the villain would be warranted?" Izuku asked. Torino sighed deeply, taking a swig of his tea.

"In the right circumstances, yes. But like I said, it depends heavily on the details. A hero has to make that choice for themselves given the information they have at the time. It's easy for people to look back and say they would or wouldn't have done something after it's finished, but heroes can only do their best in a given moment," he explained. He was quiet for a moment, and then, "I know heroes who died because they wouldn't use lethal force or paid the civilian price for not using it, and heroes who should've used non-lethal force and killed villains who didn't deserve to die. Everything exists on a spectrum, kid. It just depends on where the hero and the villain fall, and on the judgment the hero makes given everything they know in the moment."

"I see… I guess that's true. You have to consider everything before you make a decision like that, I guess," Izuku mumbled. Torino looked at him curiously.

"Why ask me this?" he wondered. "You think about heroes a lot?"

"Yeah," Izuku chuckled sheepishly. "Honestly, I've always wanted to be a hero myself since I was a kid. I still do. I don't know if it's possible for me now that I have a record, but I'm going to try, at least. I'm going to get through this year and apply to U.A since they accept quirkless students. I just read a lot of stuff online like that and thought I might wind up having to make a decision like that one day…"

"The fact that you're worried over what the right thing to do in that situation says that your heart is in the right place, kid," Torino said, leaning over the table to poke Izuku where his heart would be. "And that's the most important thing. If you ever have to make a decision like that, then you'll make the right one, so long as you don't ever forget the value of human life."

Izuku took a quiet sip of tea and hoped Torino was right. He was going to have to tell Morgana something when the time came, and it would have to be the right decision.

He thanked Torino for his thoughts on the subject and excused himself to his room to think on things some more. A little later, after he'd finished his homework and eaten dinner and was getting ready for bed, he got texts from Ryuji. It seemed like his friend was also extremely torn on what they should do - although Izuku warned him not to say anything directly incriminating over text. That would be verybad if somebody went through either of their phones.

[ Sakamoto Ryuji: what do u think about what morgana told us? i dunno if i get all that stuff about desires. all i know is somethin really bad happens if we mess up]

[ Sakamoto Ryuji: i mean sure i hate the guy but i dunno if i could live with myself if what morgana said came true. thats too much aint it?]

Ryuji's texting style was certainly… interesting to read, Izuku thought, but he made a point.

[ Midoriya Izuku: Yeah. It's definitely too much. I couldn't handle it either. I talked to Torino-san about heroes who were forced to make a decision like ours, but it sounds like it's a difficult subject. I don't know what to think myself, but we've at least got to help everyone who's being hurt. Takamaki-san and Suzui-san as well.]

[ Sakamoto Ryuji: for sure! im down for almost any plan, but i dont wanna end up doing somethin horrible because of this shit. ill see if i can figure out another way to help everyone tonite]

[ Midoriya Izuku: Sounds good. I'll think about it, too.]

[ Midoriya Izuku: Whatever we do, we've definitely got to stop him. I'm glad I have you with me. It's nice to work with a friend.]

[ Sakamoto Ryuji: same to u dude! meet tomorrow to talk more game plans?]

[ Midoriya Izuku: Yeah! See you tomorrow.]

Izuku didn't know it, but the next day - Friday morning, almost a week since he'd come to Tokyo - would be the morning that his life changed once again, and would solidify the decision he wanted to make permanently.

It had been fairly normal, all things considered. Students whispered and talked, he and Ryuji met up before class, they realized there was nothing they could do and wondered if they'd really be forced to resort to the Metaverse, and the day had gotten started without a hitch. Well… aside from Morgana showing up in the courtyard again to ask if they'd reached a decision. Nothing indicated in any way that things would go so wrong. Rather, it all happened at once.

As students were heading to first period, one stood up from the benches, looking pale and terrified as he pointed to something he could see on the other side of the courtyard. "Wh… What's going on?! Oh my god… she's going to jump!"

The students immediately went into a panic as they spotted a girl standing on the edge of the school's roof, looking down. Takamaki, who was also in the courtyard at the time, recognized the girl. With a shrill, hoarse cry of 'Shiho!' she had bolted. Izuku and Ryuji looked at one another, and the two ran further out onto the courtyard after her to see what was going on for themselves.

When they got up close enough to see the ledge that was being pointed out, Izuku was just in time to see the kind girl who he'd spoken to in the hallway - the one who told him not to let the rumors get to him - step off the ledge completely.

She fell.

And Izuku, who watched it happen right in front of him, was taken back to his time on the roof of a certain building. Words and feelings he thought he'd moved past rang in his ears. The smell of burnt cotton. I'm sorry, but without a quirk, I cannot simply say you can be a hero. Choking, vile, viscous sludge in his throat. Pray for a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof, Deku.

Izuku felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt dizzy and his heart thundered wildly in his chest. The sound of blood rushing in his ears drowned out nearly everything else, except…

Pray for a quirk in your next life.

Take a swan dive off the roof.

Ryuji, on the other hand, watched the girl fall and ran forwards to try and get through the crowds to check on her. He didn't see Izuku, who he assumed was behind him, back up and press up against the alcove where the vending machines were, hands trembling as they clutched at his shirt, nearly hyperventilating. Instead, Ryuji saw paramedics show up in short order to take Suzui to the hospital, heard Takamaki mention Kamoshida's name, and from the back of the crowd he saw Mishima look like he was going to be sick and take off running in the opposite direction.

"That guy… Hey, Izuku, wasn't Mishima…" Ryuji turned to talk to Izuku, but he wasn't there. He looked for him in the crowd, and with wide eyes, he spotted Izuku over by the school's vending machines, looking like he was in the middle of a serious panic attack. Todoroki-sensei had shown up and was trying to help him, but he'd basically shut down at that point and wasn't listening to her.

Ryuji, of course, went to his friend. "Izuku!"

"Sakamoto-kun, you need to step back. Midoriya-kun isn't well right now," Todoroki-sensei said gently, but Ryuji wasn't having it.

"He's my friend! I can help him," Ryuji said. He didn't actually know for certain whether or not he could, but he was damn sure going to try. It was the least he could do after everything Izuku had done for him. Seeing somebody try and commit suicide right in front of him… it must've been too much to handle. Ryuji was only barely keeping it together himself right now.

Todoroki-sensei seemed to understand how serious he was, so she nodded. "Okay. I'll be right here if you need help. See if you can't get him to match your breathing."

Ryuji nodded quickly, sidling up next to him and speaking as gently as he could. "Hey, Izuku," he murmured. "It's me, Ryuji! You can hear me, can't you? Nobody else is paying you any attention, okay? Todoroki-sensei stepped back a little, so it's just you and me here."

That much was true, at least. Everybody was too focused on the fact that Suzui had jumped to notice Izuku having a panic attack in the corner.

"I… I won't do it," Izuku had his hands clenched so tight his knuckles were white. Half of what he was saying was unintelligible, but Ryuji could pick out things here and there. "My mom… my mom couldn't take it if I did… Kacchan would… have instigated… I won't…"

"Hey, I know you wouldn't," Ryuji said, although he had no idea what it was Izuku wouldn't do. "That's 'cause you're a cool dude! I told you, didn't I? You're my friend. I hate to see you like this… could you breathe with me, man? It would sure make me feel a lot better."

"R… Ryuji…?" Izuku finally seemed to process that he was there, and Ryuji's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! It's me! C'mon, you can do it. I'll show you. Like this," Ryuji said, taking a slow, deep breath before exhaling. Izuku shakily followed suit, taking one deep breath, exhaling, and then taking another. Ryuji kept it up with him, breath by breath. "Hey, that's it! You've got this in the bag. Just keep breathing with me 'til you feel better, yeah?"

Izuku nodded, just as shaky, but continued to follow Ryuji's breathing until he'd completely calmed down. Once his breathing was normal and his shaking had gone down to minor trembles, Izuku suddenly hugged Ryuji, clearly trying not to cry. "I'm sorry," he croaked out. "Th-Thank you, Ryuji…"

"What kind of friend would I be if I just left you all alone, huh?" Ryuji asked gently, patting his back and wholeheartedly accepting the hug. Ryuji had unfortunate experience with panic attacks, having had several of them in the months after Kamoshida had broken his leg. He'd since managed them down, but seeing somebody else suffering through one was heart-wrenching because he knew how they were.

"Midoriya-kun?" Todoroki-sensei stepped forward. "Are you well enough to go to the nurse? I think you should rest. I'll write you a pass for class, assuming classes are even going to happen now…"

Izuku didn't say anything, so Ryuji helped him sit down on a bench. "I'll take him once he feels a little better, sensei."

"Okay," Todoroki-sensei's expression was gentle. "Thank you for your help, Sakamoto-kun. I'll write you a pass as well. It seems like he's doing better thanks to you."

"N-No," Izuku sniffled and shook his head. "I… I'm sorry. I'm okay. I just… want to sit down for a minute. Maybe drink some water. I'll… I'll be alright. I shouldn't have… I don't know what came over me. I just… I'm sorry, sensei."

"There is absolutely no need to apologize, Midoriya-kun," Todoroki-sensei put a cool, reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That was an incredibly traumatic thing that you witnessed. Seeing that would shake anybody up. You take all the time you need to get back to class, if the school doesn't shut down for the day. Whether you go to the nurse's or choose to sit here and feel better, that's up to you. Just breathe and know that she'll be okay. The paramedics got here fast. They'll help her."

Izuku nodded, and Todoroki-sensei took the opportunity to join the other teachers in wrangling the students back into the building instead of standing there and gawking.

"You sure you're okay?" Ryuji asked, getting him some water from the vending machines. He handed the cold can to Izuku, who pressed it against his neck, presumably to help relieve the lingering effects of the panic attack before he drank it. "That was… seeing that whole thing happen was so fucked up, man. I'm not sure I even… I don't know. But it sure hit you pretty hard, huh?"

"It just… reminded me of something," Izuku whispered, clutching the water bottle in his hands. Ryuji's expression was worried. Seeing somebody jump off of a roof… had reminded him of something? He was almost afraid to know what. "I don't… really want to talk about it. I'm sorry."

"That's fine, I'd never make you talk about somethin' you don't want to. But… I might've gotten a serious lead. Mishima ran out of here real fast, and Suzui apparently… mentioned Kamoshida before the paramedics took her. Mishima might know what happened. Do you think you're up for talking to him about it, or do you want me to handle it?" Ryuji asked.

Izuku clenched his fists around the water bottle. "I can do it," he said, standing from where he'd been sitting. "I… I want to help."

And he truly did. Though he was still shaky and he could still hear the distant dregs of cruel laughter in his head, Izuku was still determined to do something, anything to help. He knew logically that what he'd just experienced was a panic attack - he'd had them a few times in the past - but he hadn't expected to have one now of all times, even after seeing what he had. Izuku thought that he'd moved past Kacchan's words that day. That he'd moved past his heartbreak on the roof, determined to push forwards.

He felt weak, somehow. Angry at himself. He wanted to be better. Talking to Mishima would at least get him on the right track to being better. He could move past this, be strong, and help the people who were being hurt by Kamoshida.

"Alright," Ryuji nodded. "If you say you're up for it, I'll trust you. He ran off this way, let's go look for him. Maybe he's still around."

As it turned out, Mishima was still nearby. He had hidden himself in one of the nearby storage areas and was sobbing quietly to himself. Ryuji and Izuku approached him, with the blond being significantly more aggressive about it.

"Why'd you run earlier?" Ryuji asked demandingly. Mishima startled out of his sobbing fit, frozen like a deer in headlights seeing the two of them suddenly in front of him. "You know something, don't you?"

"I-I didn't run…"

"Don't give me that shit!" Ryuji slammed a fist on a nearby locker, which made Mishima practically jump out of his skin. "A girl just tried to kill herself, Mishima! How much longer can you keep protecting him?! We know it was Kamoshida that did something!"

"Please, just tell us," Izuku pleaded. "Somebody has to do something. We can be the ones to step up. Nobody will even know it was you that said anything. We'll keep your name out of it."

"Exactly!" Ryuji agreed. Mishima choked off another sob and put his head in his hands.

"Suzui-san… she was called out by Kamoshida-sensei!" Mishima admitted. Izuku's eyes went wide. Finally, they were getting a testimony! "I got called by him several times, too… to go to the P.E faculty room. It wasn't only us, though. Whenever Kamoshida-sensei was in a bad mood… he'd nominate one of the students and… h-he'd hit them."

Ryuji was incredibly upset, tense as he heard the truth in person from somebody who'd been a victim. "Damn it… so he really is physically punishing you…"

Mishima continued. "Yeah… and yesterday, he… he called out Suzui-san out of the blue. She didn't even make any mistakes during practice or anything… Kamoshida-sensei seemed even more irritated than usual yesterday after he got some phone call for some reason. So when he called her, it must've been… worse than usual…"

Izuku's breath caught in his throat. A… phone call? Was it… oh no. It was probably the phone call with Takamaki. And if he called Takamaki for what Izuku thought he wanted, but Takamaki had turned him down, then… oh god. Izuku felt dizzy even thinking about it. Had he… had he really gone after Suzui in her place?

"He didn't…" Izuku was in disbelief.

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji was red with anger, taking off running in the other direction. Was he going after Kamoshida right now?! Izuku ran after him, and Mishima followed suit, likely knowing exactly what was happening. Izuku just prayed that Ryuji didn't let his temper get the better of him…!

As Izuku suspected, Ryuji booked it straight to the P.E faculty office, slamming the door open and looking like the picture of righteous fury. "You bastard!" he yelled, and Kamoshida, who was sitting in his seat like nothing had happened at all, turned to give them a questioning look. "What did you do to that poor girl?!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Kamoshida asked, as if he had no idea.

"Don't play dumb with me, you shithead!" Ryuji kicked an empty chair halfway across the room, to which Kamoshida stood sharply from his chair.

"That is enough, Sakamoto!" He yelled back.

"What you did wasn't coaching!" Mishima blurted out, to the surprise of everyone in the room. "You… you ordered me to call Suzui-san here! I can only imagine what you did to her!"

"You keep going on and on about things you have no proof for!" Kamoshida scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're making these outlandish claims because you can't get a spot as a regular on the team, isn't that it, Mishima?"

"That's not what this is about at all!" Mishima actually raised his voice, looking increasingly angry himself. Izuku nodded.

"Exactly! A girl's in the hospital now!" Izuku said, gesturing widely. "You're acting like nothing happened! Like you don't even care!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me," Kamoshida looked down at him, scorn in his eyes. "You were told not to cause trouble for the school, and in the first week you start following around the most troublesome boy in school and join him in accusing me of things that just aren't true. Quirkless children who don't know how to talk to their superiors are always the most frustrating to deal with…"

"What the actual fuck is your problem?!" Ryuji looked like he was ready to personally rip Kamoshida limb from limb.

Kamoshida, of course, paid him no mind. He just continued to stare down the students. "Even if, hypothetically, it is exactly as you imagine it to be… tell me. What could you do about it? We just got the news from the hospital not too long ago. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim. How could somebody like that make a statement?" Kamoshida practically lorded the fact that one of his students was now in a coma over their heads. "And even if she could… do you really think people would take the word of a girl who was so desperate to prove herself for the sake of the volleyball team over the word of a respected ex-hero?"

Izuku couldn't believe he'd use his false reputation as a hero to try and get out of criminal charges for the disgusting, evil things he'd been doing. Ryuji was shaking with anger next to him, fists clenched. "You goddamn…!"

"Losing your temper again, are you? Don't tell me we need to have another case of 'self-defense,' Sakamoto," Kamoshida sneered. Izuku saw the exact moment Ryuji's self-control shattered.

"You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" Ryuji lurched forward to throw a punch, but Izuku felt himself move before he consciously processed it. Next thing he knew, he was catching Ryuji's arm in his, letting out a deep breath when he caught it in time. "What the… Izuku, why are you stopping me?!"

"Because he isn't worth it," Izuku said seriously, staring Kamoshida down himself. The P.E teacher's eyes narrowed in return. Unfortunately for Kamoshida… Izuku was the world's biggest hero nerd, capable of digging up info on nearly any forum he got his hands on. "I did some research on him, you know. His hero name was Spike. He and a group of civilians got hurt because he ran away from a villain," Izuku said, not backing down. "He was a coward and people got hurt because of it. All Might showed up on scene after to clean up his mess."

"You shut your mouth," Kamoshida snarled, getting up into Izuku's personal space. "You don't know anything about what it takes to be a hero. People who've never been in that position should keep their mouths shut and let the heroes handle business."

"Except I do know what it takes," Izuku took a step forward, not backing down. "I've met pro heroes before. And one I really respect… told me that if the life of even one civilian is in danger, it's the hero's job to take them down, and you ran."

"You little-" Kamoshida nearly raised a hand, but Izuku kept going.

"Going to hit me because I'm telling the truth? I'm not a coward. I'll tell everyone you hit me, including the pro hero I know, and I'll have witnesses," Izuku held his head high.

"Everyone present right now is getting expelled," Kamoshida spat angrily, turning heel to curb his anger and stop himself from raising a hand to Izuku. "I'm reporting you at the next board meeting."

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima cried.

"Like I said before… who'd listen to scum like you with no proof? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible. As if you didn't know why I kept somebody like you with no talent on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked Midoriya's criminal record, didn't you? All over the internet, people know that Midoriya Izuku is a vigilante who interfered in official hero work. How terrible."

Ryuji and Izuku both turned to look at the other boy. "Mishima?" Ryuji looked genuinely shocked. "Youleaked Izuku's records?"

"He told me to do it! I had no choice…" Mishima looked away shamefully.

"It's okay," Izuku murmured, shaking his head. "I don't care. I forgive you."

Mishima looked genuinely shocked at Izuku's immediate forgiveness, but Kamoshida just scoffed and waved them off as he went back to his desk. "We're done here. Get lost. You're all expelled, and your futures are mine to take."

"I'm not giving up," Izuku said, an almost scary expression on his face. "I've made my decision about what to do, Ryuji."

"Oh shit," Ryuji's eyes went wide. "You wanna use that?"

"What the hell are you two talking about over there?! Have you lost your minds?!" Kamoshida yelled. "You worthless kids aren't making any sense. Do whatever you want - it won't help. You'll have plenty of time to kill until you're expelled."

Izuku grabbed Ryuji's arm and stormed out of the room. They had a job to do.

"We gotta hurry up and use the other world to beat the shit outta that asshole!"

The first words out of Ryuji's mouth once they'd reconvened after school in their favorite vending machine alcove in the courtyard, while vulgar as ever, were ones that Izuku heartily agreed with. Morgana, though Izuku hadn't been paying him much attention since he showed up that morning, had apparently been following them, as he showed up in the courtyard as well.

"We're not beating him up," Morgana said, very careful to be specific while tempers were hot. "We're stealing his distorted desires. I assume this means you've made up your minds and accepted the risk that he might suffer a mental shutdown?"

"I have," Ryuji nodded. "Somebody almost died because of him, and he couldn't care less. Well, I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore either."

"And you, Midoriya?" Morgana asked.

Izuku took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. "I'm willing to accept the risks. Torino-san told me… that heroes have to consider the information they have available before using lethal force. Well… this is like making that decision, right? We're the only ones who can stop him, so that means the decision is up to us, and I think it's gone too far… it probably went too far a long time ago. I just wasn't ready to accept it. We have to stop him before he hurts anybody else, risks or no risks."

Morgana seemed satisfied with that answer. "Then it's settled. We'll go after him."

"By the way… is taking down a Palace super difficult? How should we prep? You've done this before, right?" Ryuji asked, looking at Morgana expectantly.

"When did I ever say that?" Morgana replied.

It was quiet for a moment, and then, "You were just pretending to know what to do about all this?!" Ryuji yelled. "What the hell, dude?! Is it even possible?!"

But before Morgana could answer, another person had shown up and interrupted their conversation: Takamaki. She looked wrung out, like she'd been crying horribly, though Izuku didn't blame her. Her best friend had…

"Is it true you're getting expelled?" she asked suddenly, with no warning. "Everyone's talking about it…"

"That asshole's at it again," Ryuji muttered angrily. "What, you come all the way here just to ask us that? He's sure as hell gonna try to expel us, at least. Happy with your answer?"

"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida, let me in on it," Takamaki said seriously, staring the two down. "I won't just sit back and do nothing, not after what happened to Shiho! I know it was his fault, so I want in."

"Man, don't butt your head in," Ryuji muttered.

"Shiho's my friend!" Takamaki protested.

"Takamaki-san, it's not that we don't want you to help," Izuku murmured, stepping in before things got out of hand. Both of them were really angry right now for different reasons, and an argument could lead to very bad things. "We'd happily have your help if we could. It's that… I don't think you can help in this instance for reasons out of anybody's control."

She didn't have a Persona. She'd get seriously hurt or killed in a place like Kamoshida's castle without one to back her up - Izuku and Ryuji had learned that one personally. Takamaki, however, didn't look happy at all with that answer.

"What reasons, huh? Is it because I'm a girl? Because you don't like my quirk? What?" Takamaki asked, and this time Ryuji had enough of her protesting.

"Because you just can't! Don't get in our way!"

Takamaki froze for a second and then she ran off, upset again. Izuku gave Ryuji a look. "Ryuji… that was a little harsh."

"Man, it's the only way she listens sometimes," Ryuji shook his head. "We've just got to hurry up and deal with Kamoshida. You want to go right now? I've still got my first aid kit."

Izuku checked his phone, let Torino know that he and Ryuji would be hanging out on school grounds for a little while, and nodded. "Let's do this."

Morgana, Ryuji and Izuku stood outside of the school, ducking into a place where they wouldn't be seen. Izuku wasn't sure if they would just vanish into thin air or what, since he didn't know what traveling to the Metaverse looked like from an outside perspective, so it was better safe than sorry.

"As soon as we enter, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, okay? We've gotta fill the role. Heroes, villains, none of that matters in the Metaverse," Morgana said. "Just thieves and treasure."

Izuku wasn't sure about the title, but he told d'Artagnan when they first met that it didn't matter what he was called - hero, vigilante, villain, thief - so long as he could save people. That was still true. So long as he saved people… Izuku was sure that he could remain a hero in his heart. In the Metaverse, he had the power to do just that. He wasn't going to let Kamoshida get away with this.

"That sounds kinda cool," Ryuji pulled out his phone. "You know, that weird app showed up on my phone, too. All we gotta do is say the school, Kamoshida's name, and castle, then we end up in that bizzaro world, right?"

"It's called the Metaverse," Morgana huffed, looking at Ryuji. "Not 'bizarro world.'

"Yeah, but… the app showed up on your phone too?" Izuku blinked, surprised. Igor had said he'd bestow the Metaverse Navigator on others, but he hadn't expected it to just happen.

"Yup, a couple days ago. Guess I forgot to mention it. How the hell does it work, anyway? And how'd it show up? Somebody make this thing? I don't get it…" Ryuji mumbled. "It's a little creepy, but it's useful, so I guess I can't complain. We'll show Kamoshida!"

"Let's go!" Izuku nodded. He'd worry about Igor and the app later. Right now, they had a job to do! They both entered the information on their phones, and sure enough, just like last time, the world warped and shifted. The more they used the app, the less it affected them physically, so at least this time there was no dizzy spell or nausea accompanying it.

The three of them appeared in front of the castle, wearing their masks and different outfits. Izuku and Ryuji were ready to go, but before they could even take a single step forward, they heard a scream.

"What is this?!" All three turned to see…

"Takamaki?!" Ryuji cried, seeing her run up to them.

"Th-That voice… Sakamoto?! That must mean you're Midoriya! What is going on?! Why are you dressed like that?! Don't tell me you're actually gonna be vigilantes!"

"I should be asking you why you're here!" Ryuji argued, looking like he had no idea what to do in this situation, looking to Izuku and Morgana for help.

"Maybe it was that app you used," Morgana suggested. "If multiple people enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason that it could pull in nearby people as well. She must've been following us - that was an oversight on our part. We'll have to be even more careful to ensure we aren't around people when we go in…"

Ryuji groaned exasperatedly. "For real?"

"Wait… is this related to Kamoshida?" Takamaki gestured to the castle. "And did that cat just talk?! What the hell is going on?! You'd better explain! I'm not leaving until you do!"

"Takamaki-san, please…" Izuku started, but Ryuji shook his head.

"I told you she'll only listen to force. We'll have to force her out of here," he said, to which Takamaki of course balked. "We can take her back to where we came in, right? That's how we got out of here the first time, without the app. You gonna help me?"

Izuku didn't want to, but he supposed he didn't have much of a choice.

Despite very vocal protests from Takamaki, Izuku and Ryuji managed to push her out of the Metaverse from the area they came in from. Once she was out, they reconvened with Morgana and decided they'd have to get this over with quickly. They had no idea what Takamaki was going to do now, after all. Theoretically, she could get them in serious trouble before they had the chance to finish things with shadow Kamoshida, although Izuku admittedly didn't think she seemed like that kind of person.

"Alright," Morgana sighed. "Now that that's dealt with… I wanted to mention that I think we should use code names while we're in the Metaverse. I don't know what kind of effect it would have on the real Kamoshida if we run around yelling our real names in a Palace, and I'm not about to find out. So before we go in, let's decide on code names, got it?"

"Oh! I think I oughta be named after my mask," Ryuji grinned, pointing to it. "This thing's so cool. What do you think, Izuku?"

"It is cool! Since it looks like a skull, why not just go with Skull?" Izuku proposed.

"That's great! Nice 'n simple. I'll go with that, then," Ryuji looked perfectly happy with his choice. "What about 'Mona' for Morgana?"

"That somehow feels like an insult," Morgana muttered.

"But it suits you, don't you think?" Izuku said. He actually thought Mona was a cool codename… "It's kind of mysterious. It leaves the meaning up to interpretation…"

"Well… fine," Morgana sighed. "I'll go with Mona, then. You're last, Midoriya. What name are you gonna go with for your code name?"

Izuku… honestly had no idea. After the day he'd had - frankly, after the life he'd had - the only thing that quickly came to mind was, unfortunately, Deku. It was what he'd been called every day growing up. Useless Deku, quirkless Deku, creepy muttering loser Deku, you name it, it had been said at one point in time. But… he never wanted to hear that name again.

Deku was a name he'd left behind. In its place… what would be best? Izuku wasn't sure, and nothing was immediately coming to mind.

Ryuji, though, looked like a light bulb had gone off in his head. "Hey, what about Hero?"

"…Hero?" Izuku asked, looking surprised. "Like… 'pro hero' Hero?"

"Yeah! Why not? Your outfit looks like a hero costume, and you wanna be a hero, don't you? I mean, you kind of already are a hero, but that's besides the point," Ryuji grinned. "Don't you think it sounds cool? I think it suits you."

Izuku was very much willing himself not to cry right now. "What do you mean I'm already a hero?"

"I mean… you saved your old classmate's life. You saved my life. You're working hard right now to save even more. I'm pretty sure that's, like, the entire definition of a hero, yeah?" Ryuji asked. For the second time that week, Izuku found himself beaming from ear to ear, though thankfully this time he managed to keep the tears out of it.

Ryuji… thought he was a hero.

"Then… I'll go with Hero as my code name, and I'll do my best to live up to it."