Chapter 20
Moments after Midoriya and Todoroki were called to the arena the doors to Recovery Girl's office were flung open with a clearly worried Raphtalia rushing out. Without missing a beat the Tanuki-girl began to race down the hallway, her leg showing no sign of injury. In truth, it had taken the elder hero only a couple of seconds to heal it so well that no one would have ever suspected she had gotten cut there. There wasn't even so much as a scar! But despite this, Recovery Girl had insisted on having the girl rest for a bit while she examined her.
And, because of this, Raphtalia was now running late to see Izuku.
"Wait missy wait!" cried the elder hero, as she hobbled out the door with a large candy bag in one hand. "At least take some gummies with you!"
-x-
At the same time, Filo was up in the stands as she and Melty explored the stadium together. To be honest, the Filolial girl found this far more fun and exciting than the fights since all she could do was watch. Though, since this next one did have her Master in it then perhaps it would be worth watching. Maybe they could even get a closer look!
Before she could bring this up to her new best friend in the whole wide world, something caught her attention. It was a man, a very skinny one at that, holding onto the railing as he looked down at the field below. Something about the man seemed familiar to her but for some reason she could not place a finger on. But such thoughts were put on hold as the man just randomly began coughing up huge amounts of blood. Like, the amount didn't seem humanly possible! But then again, what did she know about what was humanly possible since she had seen Mrs. Midoriya once cry so much that the tears went up to her ankles?
Shaking her head to pull herself from that memory, Filo noticed the man wobbling and, with a great burst of speed, rushed over to catch him before he fell over. As she held onto him, she got a whiff of a familiar scent that was much like the one smelt every time she transformed. Then she looked up at the man whose piercing blue eyes were looking down at her with gratitude. Eyes she had seen before within her Master's room.
"Thank you for that," said the man, wincing while smiling at her.
Filo beamed as she helped the man stand. "No problem All Might," said the little blonde girl. "My Master would be very disappointed in me if I saw someone in trouble and didn't help."
All Might chuckled as he closed his eyes, scratching the back of his head as he did so. "Would he now?" began All Might. "Looks like he's-"
Suddenly, All Might's eyes shot wide open. His mouth opened wide, more blood spewing out as he looked down at the little winged girl who looked back at him with an innocent smile.
"But…I'm not…You just…How?" was all the pro hero could say as he looked down at the girl in shock.
"Oh, was I not supposed to figure it out?" asked Filo innocently, tilting her head to the side as she spoke. "Are you playing some sort of game with someone else? If so I'm really sorry. It's just that my Master is a really big fan of yours. He has lots and lots of pictures and dolls of you all over his room. He also showed me the disk with you in it. You know, the one where you told him he was getting into this school. You're wearing the same outfit right now. Plus, you have this smell on you that's like mine when I transform."
Filo then paused, a huge smile appearing on her face. She then turned around to see Melty running towards them. She looked a little winded, but there was still a smile on the blue-haired girl's face.
"Come on Melty, come on!" cried Filo as she waved at her new best friend. "I wanna get a closer look to see Master's fight!"
With that, the pair rushed past a still-shocked All Might as the reality of the situation was still catching up with him.
'Did a little girl who was only born a couple of weeks ago just figure out that I'm All Might?' thought the hero.
-x-
While the interaction between All Might and Filo took place, Mina raced as quickly as she could through the stadium. With her heart pounding, she ran up flight after flight of stairs with her shoes squeaking in the deserted hallways. Eventually, she came across the door that would lead her to her target. Once she was close enough, Mina reached for the door handle to open it with the intent of just rushing inside as every moment counted. But, alas, the door was locked.
A growl escaped her throat as Mina began to rapidly twist the door handle, hoping that would get it to open. When that didn't work she began to loudly pound on the door, shouting for them to open up. The pink-skinned girl would have used her acid next had the door not opened to reveal Mr. Aizawa looking at her.
"Ashido," began her homeroom teacher. "What in the world is-"
"It's Midoriya," interrupted Mina, silencing the darkly dressed man. Without waiting for him to ask her to explain or anything else, the acid-using girl began to tell him everything. How Midoriya had not returned to their seating area, only to be later found by her huddled in a hallway and sitting on the floor. How they had begun to talk, and when she told him that she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, he had begun to cry without realizing it. What's more, the look on his face made her fear for him. She said all of this quickly, barely taking any breaths despite the run she had done to get here.
And as she spoke, Mr. Aizawa just stood there silently. He seemed to just be taking all this in with his eyes narrowing. Behind him, Present Mic had swirled around in his chair to give this conversation his attention as well. Unlike Mr. Aizawa, Present Mic let out a few curses under his breath.
"I'm worried about him," finished Mina. "Everything he's going through is getting to him. But I don't know how to help him."
"I'd be more worried if he wasn't affected by all this, given everything we've seen this far," commented Mr. Aizawa, his tone slightly darker than normal. Like there was a rage that was directed towards something other than her at the moment. However, when he spoke next, he seemed to have calmed down. "You did the right thing coming to me. I'll send a private message to Midnight, asking her to keep an eye on Midoriya during the fight. Then, afterwards, we'll have him meet with Recovery Girl. From there, we can take steps to help him. Hopefully before his next match. Now, you'd best be on your way."
With that, Mina thanked Mr. Aizawa before heading off to sit next to Kirishima. Once she got there, she would tell him that no matter what happened, Midoriya would need their support after this match.
-x-
Meanwhile, Izuku walked onto the arena as Present Mic did the intro for both him and Todoroki. Thankfully the blond man's voice was able to mostly drown out the chorus of boos when he reintroduced Midoriya to the crowd. But the same couldn't be said when Todoroki entered, earning almost deafening cheers from the people in the stands. Something that caused Midoriya to briefly grit his teeth in frustration. Just as quickly as this anger came, Izuku managed to shake it off as he looked over at his classmate, raising his shield in preparation for battle. As for Todoroki, he paid little attention to what was going on around him as he kept his cold gaze on his opponent.
As Midnight pressed a hand to her earpiece, Izuku's eyes remained locked to Todoroki. He knew that this wouldn't be an easy match as Todoroki's quirk was insanely strong. However, that didn't mean that Izuku was without a plan, or a shield, that he could use.
"Begin!" declared Midnight.
As Midnight's whip cracked, Todoroki took a step forward with his right foot sending a wave of ice that was laced with spikes towards Izuku. An attack that came so fast that, had the young shield hero not lunged to the left, he would have either been encased in or impaled on ice. Midoriya did not stop running as he kept his gaze on the dual-quirk user. The half-hot half-cold teen turned on the spot, gritting his teeth as he sent a second wave of ice to where Izuku was. One so large that it crashed right into the stadium wall, shaking it slightly with a spike so long that they could have impaled several people with room to spare. Yet, once more, Todoroki missed as Izuku continued to keep to the teen's left side.
Frustration seemed to mound for the icy hot teen as he slid his right foot across the stony floor, sending forth a wide arch of ice. Something that Izuku spotted instantly as he recognized it from class. When Todoroki did this, he was essentially trading raw power and deadly accuracy he normally used for something more widespread. Sure, it would still freeze Izuku to the ground and cover him in ice, but he wouldn't be stuck inside something the size of a glacier. It would also be more likely to happen given the wider area of attack would make it harder to avoid without serious speed. Something that both teens knew Izuku Midoriya lacked.
Luckily, Izuku had another way of avoiding the issue.
"Air Strike Shield!" shouted Izuku. Without wasting a moment, he leapt into the air before he had finished shouting the name of one of his special moves and landing on his makeshift platform. He didn't hesitate to create another Air Strike Shield, leaping onto it as Todoroki used his quirk to create an ice stake that shot out of the ground to pierce the first. Now on his second platform, Izuku leapt towards Todoroki, shocking not just the teen but everyone watching as his shield began to take on a new shape.
"Soul Eater Shield!" cried the green-haired teen.
Gasps could be heard as Izuku's shield took on the appearance of a ghostly white face, the green gem now placed between two sinister-looking red eyes. Below that, the shield grinned evilly as it showed off its row of razor-sharp teeth. But Izuku didn't have any time to worry about how it looked as his shield collided with Todoroki's face, causing the teen to stumble back a bit while Izuku's new shield activated. Its mouth opened up and seemed to inhale, sucking in something from its victim who began to feel a little drained. Rather than ponder what Midoriya had done to him, Todoroki raised a hand as he willed his ice to lay waste to the fool who was now too close to him. An act that caused Izuku to notice that parts of his sleeve had ice on it that had begun to fall off. But when nothing happened, Todoroki's eyes widened in shock and horror as Izuku's shield transformed again.
"Chimera Viper Shield!" yelled Izuku as he capitalized on his opponent's weakened state. The shield on his arm then began to glow green, transforming from the Soul Eater Shield into a familiar green, four-pointed one with twin golden snakes on its surface. But, they didn't remain that way for long as the golden snakes sprang to life, their colors changing into a more natural green as they launched themselves at Todoroki. The moment they were close enough their fangs bit into the other teen's flesh causing him to cry out while a weak poison entered his veins. But, this lasted for only a moment as ice began to cover the snakes, signaling the end of the effect of Izuku's Soul Eater Shield. Seeing this, Izuku's shield began to glow green once more as he leapt back from Todoroki who instantly began to hold onto one of the spots where he had been bitten. As for Izuku, he switched his shield back into the Soul Eater Shield.
'Wow! I knew that any shield I got from Mr. Aizawa would be impressive, but I never expected it to be this useful!' thought Izuku as he glanced down at the Soul Eater Shield. 'It's ability to mimic the erasure quirk when the shield is struck is nothing short of amazing! Though why it looks this way…Focus Izuku, focus! Ok, when I got close to Todoroki I could see frost forming on his body meaning he's not immune to the cold. Makes sense since he usually tries to end his training matches as quickly as possible. That means my plan was the correct one: I just need to keep dodging his ice assaults and eventually his own quirk will be his undoing. Well, unless he can figure out how to…heat himself…up…Wait a moment! Todoroki's quirk is a mix of fire and ice. So he could just use his left side to warm himself up! So why doesn't he-"
Izuku was cut off as Todoroki took another step forward, sending another rush of ice towards Izuku.
'Questions for later! Questions for later!' With those rambling, panicked thoughts Midoriya raced with all his might to the left. Even getting into a roll as he nearly tripped on his own foot. When Izuku's roll ended, he was on one knee looking at the other teen with his mind racing. Already he was beginning to see a flaw in his plan. Namely, it would only work if he kept the pressure up and continued to dodge. But the longer this went on, the more tired he would be for the next round. If he didn't get caught by one of those ice attacks. There had to be a way to speed things up.
Just as new ice began to form around Todoroki's foot, a memory of the battle trail came to Izuku. If he could apply that move once again, then there was a chance of speeding up his plan.
"Shield Prison!" said Izuku under his breath. Just in the nick of time too as his opponent's eyes widened in surprise as a dome of shields surrounded him as well as the ice he was using. Half a heartbeat later several dozen spikes of solid ice found their way through the crack in the barrier, a few even making their own method of escape. Yet still the prison held firm as it kept as much of the cold inside while chilling the air around it. After a moment or two, Midnight began to carefully approach the green dome only to suddenly back away as more ice began to shoot out of it and freeing the prisoner inside. As the shields began to vanish into nothing, Todoroki remained standing in the middle of it all. But just barely. The recommendation student was hunched over, breathing heavily as his body shook from the cold. The teen's body was almost to the point where he was turning blue with bits of ice clinging to his hair.
Shakily, Todoroki moved to send even more ice at Izuku. However, the act itself seemed to cause Todoroki a great deal of pain that he was trying his hardest to grit through. An act that slowed him down allowing Izuku to take action to end this match before the recommendation student put his life in any more danger. Before the ice could form, Izuku was in front of Todoroki sending his fist, along with the edge of his Soul Eater Shield, right into the teen's gut with enough force that he was knocked off his feet. The shield user watched as his classmate spat out spit as the air was knocked out of his system while the Soul Eater Shield opened its mouth once more to temporarily drain Todoroki of his quirk once more. All of this seemed to be too much for the teen as he fell down to the ground with a grunt. But, when Todoroki stopped he did not lie there and accept that this was over. Instead he began to crawl back up so that he was on all fours, looking at Midoriya with seething hatred.
Finally, Izuku spoke in his most calming tone in hopes that he could end this.
"Todoroki, it's over," said the green-haired teen. "You fought well. But we both know that your body can't take much more of this cold. So, please, just surrender."
"Shut up!" spat Todoroki.
"I-If you don't give up on your own, Midnight will call the match any moment," continued Izuku, hoping Todoroki would see reason. "You're going to lose no matter what. Unless you use your left side-"
"Never!" screamed Todoroki as he managed to stand with eyes filled with hate as he focused on Midoriya. As he stood there, breathing heavily, memories began to flow through him as if his life were flashing before his eyes. He could remember the blows his father had dealt to him, how he kept him separated from the rest of his siblings. He heard the strike that knocked his mother down when all she had done was beg the flame hero to go easier on him. He could remember the cold way he had disposed of his mother, sending her away to a mental hospital and locking her away. Then, Izuku was before him once more.
"I will never use that man's quirk," breathed the trembling Todoroki. "You're…you're just like him Midoriya. You're both trying so hard to get me to use that man's quirk. How you both use women to accomplish your own selfish goals. Striking at them when you get upset. All while avoiding the law! Neither of you deserves to be heroes!"
Izuku found himself taking a step back at that, his body going numb while the green gem in his shield began to darken.
"…No," continued Todoroki, gritting his teeth even harder. "I take it back. You are worse than my father. Because you pretended to be a decent person. You had us all fooled. Bet you were laughing it up every night."
Izuku's mind reeled as he stumbled back like he had been struck. It hurt him so much to be compared to that man even with the limited knowledge that Midoriya had on the home life of the number two hero. But, to be called worse? Was that really how Todoroki saw him?
Then, as he stood there, the crowd above began to boo again. Izuku had no idea if they heard what Todoroki said or if it was just that they were unhappy with how things were turning out. But in that moment, Izuku didn't care. Not when the people were shouting things like 'get him out of here' and 'false hero' as well as other things. It felt like all those words, those negative feelings that the world was hurling at him just building this pressure down upon him. Pressure that he was buckling under.
Then something inside Izuku cracked. He found himself gritting his teeth in anger. It was so unfair. In his mind, the image of his class when they had first started at U.A. appeared with everyone laughing and being on good terms. Then, that image was consumed by fire as Izuku seethed. Were they ever friends? Did they ever trust him? How could they? Not when they so quickly turned on him, labeling him as a villain without ever asking his side of the story! Then, as drool began running down Izuku's chin while continuing to grit his teeth, the gem in his shield turned red.
Izuku let out a howl of pain, throwing his head back as his vision began to blur. In his mind, he could see the massive tree grid of shields he had acquired vanishing before being replaced with a few simple words: Cursed Series. Red markings began to cover his body, his head being thrown back as he continued to scream while the whites of his eyes turned red. The gem on Izuku's shield seemed to catch on fire before it spread across the rest of his shield, turning it into something black and dangerous to behold. He could no longer hear the crowd for they had gone silent as they watched in fear at what was happening before them.
All the while, Todoroki watched panting from the cold and pain caused by the poison Midoriya had unleashed. But despite that the teen managed a small smirk of satisfaction. This, he believed, must be the true Midoriya. The one that attacked that General Studies student Malty. The true wickedness within him coming to light.
Then, when Izuku lowered his head, Todoroki's heart sank. The look in Izuku's eyes was the same his mother had the day she had scared his face. That same look of horror and pain she had just by looking at him, at seeing the face that resembled her tormentor so much. Had…Had he inflicted that same level of pain onto Izuku? It seemed so as another cry of pain escaped from Midoriya as black armor began to form on the shield teen's arm, ripping apart his gym jacket in the process. Then, as wicked curved spike began to grow out of the armor, Izuku gave Todoroki another look that he knew so well. The same hate-filled expression he had when he looked in the mirror while thinking of his father.
Then, all hell broke loose. With a primal roar, Izuku lunged forward at Todoroki while flames appeared on his shield. The freezing teen tried sending a wave of ice towards him, but it was slower this time making it painfully easy to dodge. Only, Izuku didn't dodge it. Instead he just plowed through it like it was nothing at all, the fire on his shield melting it away until it was nothing but steam. Seeing this, Todoroki managed to dodge out of the way by rolling to his side at the last minute before Izuku impaled the ground where he once stood. Flames then erupted from the ground where the shield had struck, the sight of which caused a pit of dread within Todoroki's gut. He couldn't explain it, but something in the back of his mind was screaming at him to not let those flames touch him. So, as quickly as he could, Todoroki got to his feet to begin making some distance. Not that he could get far right now as, before he had even taken a few steps, Midoriya's glowing red eyes were on him.
'Can't let that thing touch me,' thought Todoroki, his mind reeling by what he was seeing. At the same time, Midoriya got to his feet while screaming in anger with his shield still set ablaze. 'But, that might be easier said than done. My body, it's so cold. I need to warm up. Just…'
The bi-colored haired teen looked up as his opponent started to slowly walk over to him. It seemed so alien to see Izuku like this, his face contorted with such a hateful expression. All traces of intelligence seemed to be gone, replaced with what seemed like a single-minded desire: to destroy. To burn down everything around him. He was more like a wild animal than a hero in training. The teachers would stop him of course. It was just…It was just…
"Midoriya, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I am sorry," said Todoroki as a solemn expression crossed his features. "I helped break you. I need to be the one to set this right. No matter the cost."
With that, Todoroki used his left side. Fire began to form all over that part of his body, warming him up like never before. Without thinking, flames shot out of his left hand and flew towards the berserker in the hopes that it would do something. Hoping that it might at least shock Izuku out of whatever state he was in! Alas, it was not to be as Midoriya simply raised his shield to block the attack as he approached his target slowly.
While that attack didn't work, Todoroki refused to give up as he backed away while continuing his assault. With his body no longer feeling the effects of the extreme cold, he was able to send out another massive wave of ice towards his green-haired classmate. He watched as the ice crashed into him, hoping it would either freeze around him or send him flying backwards. However, neither thing happened as the flames from Izuku's shield just seemed to melt the ice. It slowed him down a bit, his feet momentarily frozen to the stadium floor. But only for a moment as he broke free. Refusing to let up, Todoroki then blasted him with another stream of flames that shot towards their target like a high powered flamethrower. Yet this proved equally in vain as Izuku used his shield to deflect the flames without losing any of his momentum.
Seeing this, Torodroki just gritted his teeth as he tried again and again sending waves of fire and ice. But the most he ever got was a grunt of annoyance from Midoriya who just continued to slowly close the distance with little difficulty.
Feeling the pressure on him, Todoroki decided to try something else. Quickly he pushed the right side of his body to its limit, cooling the air around him, before switching to his fire side to rapidly heat and expand the air around him. The end result was a superheated blast aimed right at Midoriya that, upon impact, rocked the arena as well as parts of the stadium. Even a pro hero like Midnight was thrown off her feet, flung back with so much force that she hit the wall before crumbling to the ground.
Panting, Shoto Todoroki sank to his knees as a cloud of smoke filled the stadium floor. For a moment, he believed that he had put down the student with the highest defense in the class. Hopefully just knocking him out. But such a hopeful thought ended as an armored hand reached out from the smoke to grab him by the neck! The grip tightened as Todoroki was lifted into the air so that his feet dangled, barely noticing Izuku's shield was smoking slightly from the impact of that last attack. Fearfully, the icy-hot teen began to claw at that arm in a desperate attempt to get away before Midoriya slammed that flaming shield into his face or had his throat crushed. However, his nails couldn't penetrate the armor surrounding Midoriya's arm, feeling them scrape around the surface as he looked into Izuku's red eyes.
"Stop it! Izuku, that's enough!" came a new voice.
Everyone watched as Izuku turned, shield aflame and ready to launch it at whoever was now heading towards him. But, he stopped when he saw who it was. Raphtalia! Ignoring all rules, the Tanuki girl was running towards him with tears in her eyes. And behind her was Filo in her human/angel form. Whether it was just seeing them like this or the sudden realization of what he might have done to them seemed to snap Midoriya out of his rage, the black armor on his arm vanished as he released Todoroki. As his shield returned to its normal, silver state and the red in his eyes left a look of horror fell upon him. With a sickened look, Midoriya raced out of the arena where he then began to empty his stomach.
It was over. Izuku Midoriya was out of bounds and had lost.
-x-
"HAHAHA! Look at that Master!" Shigaraki laughed, kicking his feet about wildly as he sat in his seat within the dirty bar that served as his headquarters. Glee filled his eyes as he looked at the many different screens before him, his smile sickening to behold. The main one showed the shield brat being helped out of the arena, head held low as the many people in the crowd began to call him a villain once more. He would really have to thank that Malty girl when she came by the bar again. Had it not been for her constant whisper campaigns and live interviews, he doubted that the crowd would have reacted this way.
It was like his Master had always said: Hearts are so easily swayed.
Now the scene was having a domino effect as evidenced by the images on the other screens. News outlets and opinion show hosts were already tearing into the Midoriya brat, calling him an out-of-control monster that needed to be kicked out of the school.
"This is just so wonderful!" cried Shigaraki with glee. "The first act of my plan is going so well! Just wait till we get to the final stage. When that day comes you'll be finished!"
"Yes, I am happy for you," came All for One's voice over one of the TV's. The only one not displaying the events of the Sports Festival, instead having the words 'Sound Only' displayed.
Shigaraki's ears perked at that. Smiling fading, he turned to look at the screen where his Master's voice had come from. Something about the tone seemed a little off. He had known his Master for years and could easily pick out his mood even through this system. But this time, it was rather hard. Was that worry?
"Is something wrong Master?" asked the decaying villain.
"What?" came All for One's reply, sounding startled. As if he had been pulled out of his own thoughts. But, when he spoke again, he sounded more like his composed self. "Oh no, nothing is wrong per-say. It's just that I have encountered that quirk before when I was trying to take it for my own as well as the other Legendary Weapons. And that shield never behaved like that. Perhaps it is changing. Well, no matter. In the end, I am pleased with your motivation. Continue as you please for I sense that the path you are on will bring forth the downfall of not just that young man, but the entire school as well. Perhaps even All Might's."
-x-
Later, as the sun began to set over the horizon, Izuku sat by himself within the stands of the stadium with his head lowered. The first day of the Sports Festival had ended hours ago with him missing the closing ceremony altogether. Partly because Recovery Girl wanted to make sure he was alright, dragging out all of her tests since she didn't want him to go back into that environment. Well, Izuku didn't really fight her on that since he also didn't want that. Right now, he just couldn't face the looks he knew he was going to receive. The fear. The hatred. And feeling the shame.
He didn't leave the medical office until sometime after he was sure everyone had left. When he did, the green hero slowly made his way towards the stadium, moving almost as if in a trace or like a zombie, before finding a random seat and taking it. There he sat, with his head hung low as his last match replayed in what felt like an endless loop within the silence. At one point he lifted his head finding that All Might was walking up the steps and pausing to look at him. But the pro hero quickly looked away, scratching the back of his head before moving on.
Yeah, it made sense that someone like All Might would want to keep their distance from him.
"Hello there Little Hero."
Izuku didn't jump at the sudden voice, merely lifting his head slightly, casting a glance at Midnight as she sat next to him.
"So this is where you've been," she said with concern. "I've been looking all over the place for you. Not just me, but all of your friends. Some of them were ready to do some very naughty things in order to find you."
Then, an arm draped over Izuku's shoulders causing him to flinch this time. The teen then gulped as he looked over at the older woman, seeing that her expression was not the playful one she normally had. Nor was it the fierce one he saw that night when they first met. This time, all he could see was compassion and worry as their eyes locked. It was enough for a lump to form in his throat.
"How are you? Really?" she asked.
With that, Izuku felt another emotional dam breaking within him so when he spoke his words were choked with sobs. "I don't know. I-I really don't know anymore. I messed up so bad. I don't…I didn't…I thought I could handle it all, I really did. But I messed up and I don't know how to fix this. I could have killed Todoroki. I could have hurt Raphtalia and Filo. Everyone saw it. Everyone hates me. How can I be a hero who saves people with a smile on my face when I don't even feel like a hero? They all think I'm a monster. A villain. No better…Maybe they're right. I'm scared."
Izuku clutched onto Midnight the way a frightened child clings to his parents after a bad dream, tears pouring freely down his face. All the while Midnight gently stroked his curly green locks in a reassuring manner, never saying a word as her student let out all the things that he had been keeping inside. It was only when he had finished that she pulled away from him before cupping his chin with one hand so that he had to look her in the eyes.
"I'm not going to lie to you Little Hero," said Midnight gently. "Yes, things look bad for you right now. But I believe that you can pull yourself out of this. Just like how you saved yourself and that little cutie pie all those years ago."
"B-But what if I can't?" asked the scared teen. "I don't think I can do it on my own."
At that, Midnight smiled as she looked at something in front of them. "Who said you were alone?" she asked as she turned her attention back to Izuku. "You still have your friends, don't you?"
"IZUKU!"
As if on cue, Midnight let go of Midoriya's chin so he could turn to see Raphtalia racing towards him, jumping over the stadium seats, at a frantic pace. And she wasn't alone as a worried Filo was right behind her. Very soon she was right in front of him with both hands on his shoulders.
"I was so worried about you," cried Raphtalia with tears in her eyes. "You weren't there when All Might was handing out the metals and no one would tell me where you were! I checked Recovery Girl's office but she said you had left so-"
"Why?" Izuku's question was spoken softly, almost like a whisper. But it silenced Raphtalia as if he had screamed it at the top of his lungs.
"What?" asked the girl.
"Why did you come looking for me?" asked/demanded Izuku with a fearful look. Like he was afraid to ask the question but couldn't help himself. "Aren't you scared?! Raphtalia, I got so angry that I was barely in control of myself back there. I could have killed Todoroki. I could have attacked you or Filo! You should be terrified of me! You should hate me like everyone else does!"
For a moment, Izuku watched as Raphtalia looked at him with a blank expression. Then, slowly, her expression grew soft while an understanding smile appeared on her lips. Slowly whatever distance they had from each other vanished as she embraced Izuku in a hug, tears falling down his face anew.
"I could never hate you Izuku," she whispered softly, gently in his ear. "Nor could I be afraid of you. You might have slipped up today, made a mistake. But that's ok. Because, to me, you're the world's greatest hero."
"I…" began Izuku, new tears forming in his eyes. His body trembled at those words, wanting to tell her that it was impossible for him to be that. Not after what he had done that day!
"You saved me that night in the warehouse," whispered Raphtalia, the soft and honest tone she spoke with, silencing all his fears. "Not just getting me out of there, but pulling me out of the darkness so that I could smile again. You gave me hope when I had none. And even when it looked like that hope was going to be taken away, you stood there willing to take on more pain just for me. That's why you will always be the greatest hero in my eyes. I don't care what everyone else says. Even if the whole world turns on you, telling me that you are a villain, I'll stand up and shout from the top of my lungs that they are wrong. So please, let me be your sword so that I can cut through your sorrow."
That's when Izuku felt someone else holding him, hugging him by the waist. It was Filo.
"I feel the same way Master," said the blonde girl. "You were the first person I saw when I hatched. You've taken care of me, gave me this dress, and let me race down the streets. Everything I love in this world comes from you. I love you a whole bunch. And I'm going to eat up all those bad feelings until they don't bother you anymore."
For a moment, Izuku stayed in this embrace. Soon, others who had been looking for him showed up. People like Kirishima, Tsu, Ashido, Uraraka, and for some reason Shinso. They all came, clearly worried about him. Still trusted him. And for right now, that was more than enough.
-x-
Elsewhere, All Might walked through the private hallways of the school with his head down. Steam had risen from his body the moment the doors to the public arena closed behind him, reverting the hero to this slender form. And with his hero costume still draped across his body, he looked like a fool. A mockery of everything he stood for. Yet that was how he felt as the costume seemed all the more heavier.
After some time, the man entered a lounge meant for the teachers alone. He didn't even bother to see who was in the room at the time, just moving to a couch and sitting down while his eyes fixed on the wooden table before him. Then, after sitting there for a moment, he raised both fists into the air before slamming them down on the table with all the strength this weak form had.
"Feel better?" came the voice of Nezu. All Might looked up and through the bangs in his hair he could see the principal sitting there in a plush armchair, sipping tea while keeping his eyes on the new teacher. Close to him was Aizawa, lying on the floor in his sleeping bag with his back facing the rest of the room.
"No," said All Might as a hand reached up to press against his forehead. "No, I don't feel any better. I feel frustrated as all hell! One of my students is suffering and I don't have any idea how to help him with it!"
"Making eye contact and then moving away without saying anything is not the way to go," grumbled Aizawa.
"I know that!" snapped All Might. Then, just as quickly as his anger came it faded away while the man sank back into the cushions. "I just…I've never really dealt with a situation like this before. I want to say something to cheer the boy up. But what can I say, especially today, that won't sound hollow? Or worse, condescending?" The man paused. "What Young Midoriya is going through is something I can't finish with a laugh. The last thing I want to do is make things worse."
"Well, you certainly aren't helping him by keeping your distance," replied Aizawa flatly. "Saying nothing and looking awkward around him is having the same effect as saying you think he's a villain. Only you're keeping it to yourself."
"Thankfully, Midnight is handling this," said Nezu calmly. "Honestly, given their history, she is without a doubt the best person to help him. For now, at least." A twitch then crossed Nezu's lips. "Sadly, we have our work cut out for us. Ever since his match with Todoroki ended, my phone has been flooded with calls demanding that we expel Midoriya for his behavior. Similar demands have been filling up my email, almost to the point where the U.A. server crashed. I was also informed that Mr. Melromarc is planning on holding a press conference to publicly condemn the boy for his actions."
Upon hearing that, Aizawa turned around in his sleeping bag. "Is that so," said the man, his eyes no longer looking tired. Now there was only anger as they threatened to turn red. "Then perhaps we should have some words with the man before that."
At that, All Might nodded as his eyes narrowed.
"Already done," replied Nezu, a bit more cheer in his voice. "I have scheduled a meeting with the full board of the Hero Public Safety Commission to have a…chat with them regarding this issue. That, as well as the role the man's daughter played in this recent series of events." Slowly, a very sadistic smile crossed the rodent's features. "I believe young Malty Melromarc has been playing this game long enough without a proper opponent. So I would be delighted to show her what happens when someone like her messes with my students."
With that, Nezu began to cackle wildly in a manner that would normally cause all the other heroes around him to shudder. To feel pity for whoever was at the other end of their boss's ire. But not this time. No, neither All Might nor Mr. Aizawa could wait to see what hell Nezu was planning.
Chapter 21
It was the second day of the U.A. Sports Festival, yet the Chairwoman of the HPSC found herself in a foul mood. Seated within a large meeting room on one of the highest floors of the headquarters building, she was not discussing the potential hero talent that U.A. had just shown the world the day before. Nor were they preparing to watch the events of today, ready to note the improvements these students had gained since last year. No, instead she sat there in the mostly vacant room, which only had this large wooden table, two dozen or so chairs situated around it, and a couple of plants bathing in the sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one of the walls. Seated at the table were six of the most important members of the HPSC, each one holding so much authority that the only one they had to answer to within this organization was herself. The six sat there, three on each side as if to flank her from a potential threat. Though she was not sure how they would manage that given their advanced ages and dressed in the finest suits that money could buy.
They were not the only ones in the room at the moment. Sitting there with his back facing the windows, arms crossed against his chest and a scowl on his face, was Enji Todoroki. AKA Endeavor. The man sat there, two chairs away from the man who was the reason this meeting had been called.
As she sipped her coffee, the Chairwoman's eyes shifted over to said man: Aultcray Melromarc. While he tried to hide it, sitting there with his long white hair resting on his purple suit while a hand stroked the middle of his three-pointed beard, the man held the look of someone who was deeply irritated within his eyes. Which was a far cry from the appearance of righteous fury he had just a few hours ago when he was decrying Izuku Midoriya in his press conference.
"Izuku Midoriya is a menace!" she had heard the man, his voice sounding more like an angered king as he spoke with all cameras pointed at him. As he spoke, the man had slammed a fist onto the podium he had stood behind while veins started to appear on his face. "How can a school like U.A. not see that the boy is a complete danger to society and a disgrace to everything that heroes stand for! A villain! That is what that boy is! Twice now, the boy has used his quirk to harm other students, with this latest assault being broadcasted for all to see. Izuku Midoriya has clearly grown confident, willing to strangle the son of the Number Two hero without a care. Why? Because he believes there will be no consequence for him! My sources have informed me that whenever others try to hold him accountable, they are the ones punished. Such as Motoyasu Kitamura, a fine young hero in the making who helped at the USJ attack. And how does the school repay him for his heroic deeds? By threatening to revoke his license when he confronted Midoriya for his misdeeds! This has gone on long enough! After witnessing Midoriya's brutal attack, I vow not to rest until that boy is thrown into Tartarus for the rest of his life where he belongs!"
Thinking about that press conference ate away at the woman. Yesterday, she had specifically told the man to wait until after their meeting before holding any sort of press conference given the matter that they would be discussing. But, not only had he disregarded her orders but had changed the time of the press conference so that she would be in route when it began. And as much as she wanted to drag him off stage while calling up his ex-wife, the person who practically begged her on hands and knees to give this man his current job, she did not. The Chairwoman knew the importance of image, meaning the sight of chaos within the organization would have negative effects. Still, she would be disciplining the man when this was over.
As she sat down her teacup, the doors to the room opened, revealing a large procession of people as they entered the room. Nearly all of the other members of the HPSC looked alarmed by this while the Chairwoman just eyed them. Leading the pack was the pro hero Eraserhead, AKA Shota Aizawa. He walked in wearing a shaggy black suit with Principal Nezu seated on his shoulder. Next to the man was Midnight, for once not dressed like a dominatrix and instead wearing a tanned business suit with a matching skirt. But the real shocker was the man behind all of them: All Might. Like the others, he was out of costume, wearing a pin-striped suit that looked ready to shred at any moment should he flex even a little bit.
As Aizawa helped Nezu sit in the seat directly across from her with Midnight preparing her boss some tea, the Chairwoman's attention shifted to the others who were still entering the boardroom. While the other members of the HPSC were slow to recognize who these people were, that was not the same with her. She instantly recognized the man wearing a tan overcoat, Naomasa Tsukauchi, a detective who had been given special authority to use his quirk. The others with him were easily identified as various Police Chiefs from the surrounding area. The sheer amount that had come with the Principal of U.A., standing behind him with their hands behind their back, sent a message that the Chairwoman easily understood even if the rest of the HPSC members in this room didn't.
"Principal Nezu," began the Chairwoman after clearing her throat. "Before we begin, I would like to apologize-"
"Apologize? Apologize?!" roared Melromarc, slamming a hand on the table as he looked at the Principal of U.A. with disdain. "It is that rodent who should be apologizing on its hands and knees! All this year, it has been one disaster after the other! First you allow the press to break into your school, then the USJ, then my daughter gets assaulted, the unfair treatment of students, and finally that showing at the Sports Festival!"
The Chairwoman's eyes shot towards the man, rage flaring within them as she struggled to maintain her composure. Usually, she was the person in the room that set the tone for meetings like this. Even without seeing all the Police Chiefs along with the Number One Hero standing behind Principal Nezu, she had wanted to keep this meeting pleasant and civil. After all, U.A. produced many of their country's finest heroes, with Nezu having global influence. However, the moment that man began to speak, all her plans were shot before they were allowed to take off. What made it all the worse was all the other HPSC members nodding in agreement. Even Endeavor had finally moved his head, looking at Melromarc for the first time. What that look meant, she had no idea.
"You are correct that this year has been a disaster," admitted Nezu, his tone light and pleasant. But while her colleagues looked at the Principal with shock, the Chairwoman braced herself as she knew that the unidentifiable mammal was about to show why he was the smartest creature in the room. "However, I feel like I must correct you on certain points. You claim we 'allowed' the press to break into our school grounds. We did not allow anything as our security system was working just fine until the gate itself was decayed, the press choosing to focus on getting an interview instead of reporting the incident. And we did act instantly, keeping them from entering the building until the police arrived. Which they did in a remarkable amount of time, given the situation. Moving on to the USJ, we do bear some responsibility towards that. While there was no reasonable way we could have known for sure that one of our facilities would have been attacked, the lack of contact should not have been so easily dismissed as being in the middle of class. Still, there was no way we could have predicted that a single warp quirk user could have brought that many villains into our facility all at once along with a biologically created monster."
"You," seethed Melromarc, his face red while it looked like the wind was being driven from his sails. Nezu was dismantling the man's accusations with calm ease, and Melromarc knew it. More importantly, all the others who had been nodding along with Melromarc knew it as well.
"I also bear some blame for the USJ attack," said All Might suddenly, taking a step forward as he did. "Had I been there from the start, then perhaps things would have ended sooner. Perhaps even before my students got hurt. For that, I will apologize."
"Now wait just a moment," began Melromarc, a hand reaching out towards All Might. Clearly, he had not wanted to blame the Symbol of Peace for that mess.
"As for the unfair treatment of my students, are you perhaps referring to Young Kitamura and Young Kawasumi?" asked Nezu, tilting his head a little as he spoke with those dark, beady eyes locked onto Melromarc. "I can only assume so after hearing that press conference you made. Tell me, when has it ever been permitted for a student to use their quirks in a public area like the school grounds? Or to attack that same student at a later date in the halls with so much force that all the windows shattered? Hmm. Perhaps you are correct; I have been very unfair…to the victim by not expelling both of them for their aggression!"
"That was not what I was trying to say!" bellowed Melromarc.
At that, Nezu's eyes hardened as did the various Police Chiefs. "Oh?" questioned Nezu. "Then were you saying that the law has changed? That we can just attack others without consequences? Or are you implying that since they were defending your daughter's honor, then that they are immune from the law?"
"Enough, Melromarc," said the Chairwoman as the man clenched a fist, his anger seeming to be refueled by the mention of his bitch of a daughter. She then looked at Nezu, calmly sipping his tea before speaking again. "I believe we should move on to the topic of this meeting. Namely the accusation of the assault of Malty Melromarc and the events of the Sports Festival."
"Accusation?" raged Melromarc, slamming a fist onto the table while his face turned a shade of purple. He then pointed a finger at the detective. "That man over there confirmed that my darling little girl was telling the truth! Izuku Midoriya attacked her and tried to use his quirk on her! The only question I have is why the boy wasn't put into handcuffs on the spot!"
"As I said before," began Detective Tsukauchi. "Despite confirmation from my quirk that she was telling the truth, there were irregularities upon closer inspection of the evidence. Then, when I used my quirk on Midoriya, he was also telling me the truth."
"Is it possible that Midoriya's Legendary Shield quirk is interfering with yours?" asked another member of the HPSC, his voice much calmer.
"I will admit, it is a possibility," replied Tsukauchi with a nod, causing Melromarc to shift from anger to triumph. "We have never seen a quirk like that before, and it wouldn't surprise me if it gave him some sort of mental defense. That is why evidence is needed."
"Then why the hell are all of you standing around doing nothing?!" demanded Melromarc, standing as he once again slammed the table. "Surely a few officers with some doggy bags could manage to collect some-"
"We would if we had the officers to spare," interrupted the Police Chief of Musutafu, a man with a very noticeable scar on his face. The man spoke with a voice that was slightly raised, with anger dripping in every word. His interruption caught the attention of Melromarc, who, at first, seemed ready to scream at him. However, as he looked at the hardened expressions of the other Police Chiefs, the man backed down.
"Currently, we have every available officer working overtime," continued the scarred Police Chief. "While the heroes are kicking back, watching the Sport Festival, our people are out there collecting clues about the League of Villains and the Hero Killer! I've even had to move traffic cops to other areas because of this situation. And what aid has the HSPC given us? None! The only one who is lightening our workload is Principal Nezu!" As the scarred man spoke, the other Police Chiefs gave brief nods as they looked at the leadership of the HSPC with growing judgement. One so powerful that the men who sat on either side of the Chairwoman began to sink a little in their seats.
"Ever since the USJ attack, I have had every single lawyer on my payroll helping the police," explained Nezu as a new cup of tea was poured for him. "Well over a hundred of some of the top lawyers in the country, talking with the villains we apprehended and the local DA's to see if we can get any of them to flip on the League. A few have cracked, giving the police information that is helping to narrow their search. Some are also leading their services to work out deals for those who claim to know about the Hero Killer. However, because of Young Melromarc, things have become more chaotic on that front."
"M-My daughter? She would never," began Melromarc, only to be stopped as Nezu held up a stirring spoon and pointed it at the man. By the way he reacted, one would have assumed Nezu had pointed the tip of a katana at his throat.
"Your daughter's little media tour has caused quite a bit of trouble behind the scenes," said Nezu, still keeping that friendly tone that did not match his eyes. "Ever since she revealed Detective Tsukauchi's quirk, many of the criminals and villains he helped arrest have been in an uproar. Their lawyers are now swarming the courts with petitions for a mistrial, along with early release and financial compensation. They are claiming that a quirk was used on their client without their knowledge or consent. Not even included with the evidence, meaning their client was not given a fair trial. Currently, this is slowing down my legal team, who are also moving to deal with this matter as best we can in order to prevent more criminals from taking the streets."
"On top of that, it is making my job more difficult," added the Detective with a frown. "Now that the secret is out, most suspects clam up the moment they see me."
For a moment, the Chairwoman watched as the consequences of Melromarc's daughter finally reached the man's ears. For a moment, he looked around. Whether it was because he was hoping for someone to tell him it wasn't true or to come to his aid. Yet, the only thing the other member of the HPSC could do at that moment was to stare at the table in abject horror at the situation.
Then he looked at the Chairwoman himself, her eyes holding no comfort for him as she also understood the weight of the situation. While the public opinion of the police was low due to the existence of heroes, they still played an important role in society. They were already working as hard as they could to assist the HPSC, and how were they repaid? By outing one of their best 'weapons' to securing an arrest, followed by making a large amount of their hard work mean nothing. On top of all that, there were looming lawsuits which would eventually be knocking on the HPSC's doorstep since they were the ones who allowed the Detective to use his quirk on the force in the first place. And if bitter feelings continued to fester between the heroes and the police, well…
"You don't need more evidence!" shouted Melromarc, now slamming a palm on the table as he looked at the group Nezu had brought. "That bastard's actions at the Sports Festival reveal the demon that he really is! And after seeing that, I can understand why my darling little girl is so frightened of him!"
"Is that so?" questioned Nezu as Aizawa pulled out a holo-disk. The long-haired man then placed it on the desk in front of the Principal before backing away. Though not before shooting a look at Melromarc. "Are you by chance talking about this young man?" The hologram then flashed to life, showing the image of Izuku Midoriya standing there in the ring as trash was being thrown at him. The Chairwoman watched as the scene continued to play out, wincing as a glass bottle collided with the young man's head. And while the sound was muted, she was aware of what the crowds were screaming at him.
Then the scene shifted and what the Chairwoman saw caused her eyebrows to shoot up. It was Malty. She was in the crowd, pointing at what she presumed was Midoriya. As the young red-headed woman leaned over to whisper into another Festival goer's ear with a worried expression on her face, her eyes told a different story. They were full of malice, revealing themselves once she was sure that no one could see it.
"As for your daughter being afraid," continued Nezu as a dozen more holographic still images appeared in the air while Midnight passed out folders to all members sitting at the table. "Somehow I doubt that. Before the Festival began, I had asked a third-year student to keep an eye on Young Melromarc. Mirio Togata, a member of U.A.'s Big Three. You do understand what that means, right?"
The Chairwoman, along with many members of the Board nodded. They knew of the young man as they had all read the reports sent to them by the teen's mentor: Sir Nighteye. To put it bluntly, given Togata's charisma and new applications of his quirk, there was a good chance that in a few years he would give Hawks a run for his money. Maybe even dethroning Endeavor as the number 2…if he could match the man's record of resolved incidents.
"You had someone spying on my daughter?" screamed Melromarc, veins appearing all over his face, which was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
"As a precaution," replied Nezu simply. "We wanted to avoid another 'he said, she said' situation. And, if her claim was correct, then should Midoriya have tried something again, like intimidation or bringing her to an abandoned area of the facility, having a hero student with such a prominent record there to apprehend him would settle everything." Nezu then paused, sipping his tea as Melromarc seemed to calm down. "Now, according to Young Togata, Midoriya never once tried approaching Malty Melromarc. The only one of the Melromarc family that he did engage with was the youngest daughter: Melty Melromarc."
"M-Melty," exclaimed Aultcray as all color drained from his face. "That…That…My little girl…"
"Oh, she didn't tell you?" asked Nezu with faux innocence, tilting his head a little to the side as he spoke. "Apparently, she had a wonderful time with Young Midoriya. Young Melty wanted to see our Filolial stable during the break of the Sports Festival. It was then that she was found by Young Midoriya and his friends, who offered to let her see them. I'm honestly surprised she never told you. Or did you never ask if she enjoyed her time at the Sports Festival?"
Glancing over at the man again, the Chairwoman could see the answer on the man's face without him ever needing to say a word. It was clear: he didn't know. He hadn't known that she had run into Izuku Midoriya. Hadn't known that she had tried to see the Filolials. Probably didn't even know that she had gone.
"Now, back to Young Malty," spoke Nezu, seeming pleased with himself. "According to Young Togata, your daughter was engaging in a whisper campaign against Young Midoriya. She was also one of the first people in the crowd to rile them up. Not only that, but she was the one caught stalking the young shield hero. In the folders before you are copies of what we caught on camera. From my perspective, she hardly seems afraid."
Doing her best to stay calm, the Chairwoman opened her folder. Inside were enlarged pictures. Some of them showed Malty Melromarc pointing down at Midoriya on stage, showing that she was saying something with a look on her face that reminded the woman of old Saturday Morning Cartoon villains. The others showed her following Midoriya, peeking her head around every corner. She was alone in these pictures with a calculating look. And by looking at the time stamps, she had been following Midoriya for a while.
"She…She was just trying to make sure that no one else was harmed by that damned shield!" argued Melromarc, refusing to even consider that his daughter was up to no good. He then stood up and pointed at Endeavor. "A pity your staff wasn't watching out for the real villain! If they had, then his assault on Shoto Todoroki would never have happened! He also killed the son of the Number Two Hero in front of everyone!"
"Is that why I am here?" demanded Endeavor, speaking for the first time as he turned to look at Melromarc. "You are aware that one of my son's classmates screamed 'die' as he launched explosions at a fellow student during the Festival, but no one is calling him a villain."
"Wha," began Melromarc, looking like he had been backhanded. "But your son! He-"
"Was in an event where he knew serious harm could happen," interrupted Endeavor. "I was there when it happened. The Midoriya boy fought my son with everything he had, pushing my son into finally using his fire. I am more upset that none of the teachers from U.A. stepped in to stop it when things went too far. Not Cementoss or Midnight as they were thrown back by that powerful attack my son used. No, I'm upset that no other teacher rushed down to the arena to stop the boy when it was clear he had been taken over by his own quirk!"
"His…what?" asked a member of the HPSC, causing Endeavor to roll his eyes.
"The boy was clearly taken over by his quirk," repeated the fire hero in annoyance. "Not only was he growing new armor all over his body, but his sclera had turned red. My best guess is he had some sort of quirk awakening due to the stress he was under, or it was some aspect of his quirk he had no experience with. Whatever the case, the boy was not in the right frame of mind. Made all the more clear when he snapped out of it and began to vomit." Endeavor then looked to the staff of U.A. Or, rather, specifically, All Might. "Now, care to tell me why it took you so long to act?"
"I was halfway out the door when I saw that Midoriya had managed to tank that blow," admitted Aizawa. This earned him a nod from Endeavor, realizing the distance between the announcer's booth and the arena floor.
"I'm afraid I have no excuse," said All Might. "I too was shocked to see Young Midoriya tank such a blow. Even more so when I saw him strangle your son. This came as a shock to me as he has never behaved like this in class. Not even when his teammates abandoned him in an exercise, resulting in a building collapsing on him."
Endeavor stared at the man for a moment before sighing. "I guess in the end, it doesn't matter. The situation was handled before I had to get involved, and no serious damage was done to my son." As he said this, Melromarc sank back to his seat.
"I believe that covers everything that happened at the Sports Festival," said Nezu, a new cup of tea being poured for him. But rather than take a sip, he instead picked up a stirring spoon and began to slowly swirl it in the teacup while eyeing all the members. "When Young Midoriya was accused of assault, I complied with every request. Assisted in every way possible, treating this situation with the utmost seriousness it deserves. However, from my point of view, the HPSC has chosen instead to treat this like a spectacle to be watched. Aultcray Melromarc, you had a chance to show true leadership befitting your role by publicly admonishing your daughter for going to the press before trial began. All of you, each and every person sitting before me with the exception of Endeavor, had a chance to speak out. To show society that U.A. and the HPSC still stood side by side after the USJ incident. But, instead, it appears you have actively been aiding Young Melromarc behind the scenes. From what I have gathered, the stations that Young Melromarc spoke on claim they were 'pressured' by the HPSC or had your approval to go ahead."
Upon hearing that, the Chairwoman's heart stopped. She, along with all the other members of the committee, turned to look at Melromarc. There was no way. No way he would do something so fundamentally stupid!
"You have no right to talk, you mutated freak!" raged Melromarc, not even bothering to hide his bias. "You could have held a press conference at any time!"
"I am in full agreement with that," said Nezu, letting out a tired sigh. "However, given that the public now knows about the gate incident as well as the USJ attack, holding a press conference might have given the impression that we were covering up yet another scandal. Not helped by the fact that your daughter preempted us, saying we were protecting Midoriya solely because he is in the Hero Course. Had I known how things would turn out or had less faith in your organization, I would have spoken out publicly sooner. But, alas, what is done is done. All I can do now is make amends to the student I have failed."
With that, Nezu set the stirring spoon down as he brought his paws together. Those dark, beady eyes began to bore into the Chairwoman, who fought not to grip the sides of her chair. In that moment, she felt no different from prey facing down its predator.
"So, moving forward, I have decided that U.A. will no longer assist the HPSC unless the matter is dire," began Nezu. "During Melromarc's press conference, I contacted my entire legal team, telling them to wrap up negotiations with the villains they had been speaking with in a quick but professional manner. You may continue the search of both the League of Villains and the Hero Killer on your own. Of course, I do not intend to completely abandon my friends in the police departments. Should they request our aid, it shall be given to them freely."
Upon hearing this, the Chairwoman fought hard to keep her expression neutral. This…This was a hard blow to the HPSC. While their organization was sizable, their resources were not infinite. Which was why having the aid of U.A. was so important. Not only did it reassure the public that there was a united front fighting criminals, they also provided a good safety buffer for the organization should something go wrong. In other words, the HPSC could use U.A. as the fall guys. But now? Nezu was making sure they would have to go crawling to them should something occur that they themselves couldn't handle. Worse, there would be a greater wedge between the heroes and the police force.
"Don't you think that is a little petty?" asked one of the members of the committee. "Surely you don't wish to endanger innocent lives over the actions of a few?
"Of course not," said Nezu, a slight grin on his features. "If this were just a matter between Midoriya and the Melromarc's, I wouldn't act in such a drastic manner. However, as I have already stated, the HPSC is complicit in all of this. Even if you were unaware of the pressure put upon the various networks, you all remained silent as one of your key members and his daughter used their positions to vilify one of the students under my care. By doing so, you gave the impression that you agreed with what they were saying. Because of that, you have shown how little I can trust you. With that said, I shall not cause undo suffering. If the police need additional resources to deal with your demands, I shall happily provide them."
"Which we shall do so publicly," added the scarred Police Chief while the others nodded. "The only things we have received from the HPSC have been complaints to do our job faster. While U.A. isn't perfect, the additional help is something we all welcome and thank."
At that, the Chairwoman said nothing as she bit her lower lip. It was bad enough that cracks were forming between their organization and the police force. But this? Each time the police thanked the assistance of U.A., it would be another nick in the reputation of the HPSC. With enough blows and cuts, the group that the general public called useless would shift from the police to them.
"I am also going to hold a public press conference," said Nezu. "It will be held after the Sports Festival finishes up as I do not want to draw attention away from the students fun. It shall be short, but sticking to the facts. However, should Young Melromarc continue to try and win in the court of public opinion, we shall use our own ace."
Much to the Chairwoman's shock, and Aultcray's horror, All Might stepped forward. "I make it a point not to weigh in on such matters as I am aware of how much influence my words have," he spoke. "This restraint has recently been a source of deep frustration, making me feel helpless as I watch a young man with so much potential suffer the way he has. However, given the low severity of his accused crime, I am willing to go to bat for the young man and say that we should give him the benefit of the doubt."
"And last, but certainly not least," spoke Nezu, his tone causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand despite how friendly it sounded. "Once the matter with Young Midoriya has been resolved and should he be proven innocent, I shall instruct my entire legal team to sue Aultcray Melromarc, Malty Melromarc, every network and publication that they have used, and the HPSC for defamation on behalf of the Midoriya family."
As the other members of the HPSC gasped in shock, the Chairwoman closed her eyes. There it was. The thing she feared would happen.
"You can't be serious!" screamed Aultcray, now slamming both hands on the table. "You can't sue me! Or any of us!"
"You will find that I can," said Nezu calmly. "The statements that you and your daughter have made are public record and have resulted in serious harm. Nearly the entire school believes that Midoriya assaulted your daughter, resulting in a major blow to his reputation. He has already had to step down from positions of leadership, lost his right to give the opening speech at the Festival, and there are whispers that he is a spy for the League of Villains. Twice, he has been attacked by upperclassmen. As for his personal life, well, we will need to talk to him to see how that has been affected." Nezu then narrowed his eyes at Melromarc. "What I have shown the committee today is just the tip of the iceberg. More will be disclosed during the discovery phase. And, of course, your daughter's history will be used as a character analysis."
"But this was all Melromarc's doing," said a member of the committee, standing up while verbally trying to throw Aultcray under the bus.
"We shall allow the courts, and the discovery phase, decide that," said Nezu simply, clearly not wanting to repeat himself in front of the HPSC.
"Principal Nezu," spoke the Chairwoman after a moment. "As I tried to say at the start of this meeting, I would like to apologize on behalf of the HPSC. To be honest, I never saw the need to speak out over something so trivial in the grand scheme. If I had known things would go this far, I would have acted sooner." As she spoke, Melromarc looked at her as if she had personally betrayed him. However, she ignored the man as she stared back at Nezu.
"An apology at this point is meaningless," responded Nezu. "Nor am I the one you should be saying that to."
-x-
"And that's the current situation," said Aizawa as he now sat in front of Izuku, his mother, and Filo at their kitchen table.
It was now late in the afternoon, the second day of the Sports Festival having ended a few hours ago. Not that Izuku had bothered watching it…or anything at all that day. He had just sort of locked himself in his room, keeping his hands and mind away from most of what had happened the day before. Instead, he did his best to focus on making gifts for the people who, despite everything, still believed in him. Like for Tsu, me was making a hairpin with a decorative lily pad at the end. For Kirishima, he was designing a pin shaped like the head of his friend's favorite hero, Crimson Riot, that he could put on his backpack. Ashido and Shinso were a bit more tricky. He wanted to show Ashido how thankful he was for saying she was giving him the benefit of the doubt, but couldn't figure out what suited her. The same went for Shinso, whose honest apology and finding him after the Sports Festival ended more than made up for all the hurtful things he said during their match. The only time he took a break was to help Filo get back on track with her own studies as she tried to do her homework on his bed.
As for Inko, she had done her best to keep the mood at home light. Despite being very proud of how far he had gotten in the Festival, and even stopping himself from doing something she knew he would regret, there was no big celebration. Rather, she kept it small and made sure to let Izuku know how much she loved her son. Even if it only amounted to having his favorite meal two days in a row, it still meant the world to him.
However, underneath it all, the stress was showing. More than once, Izuku saw his mother heading outside with a bucket and a washcloth. No doubt removing the insults that people had painted on their door. Or she would return from a shopping trip with several letters in her hand, none of them having a name on them. Each time this happened, his mother would snack in order to calm her nerves.
Then, Aizawa showed up at their door looking tired and wearing a suit. When it happened, Izuku felt alarm bells ringing in his head. Not only had he never seen his homeroom teacher wearing anything other than his plain black hero costume, the appearance at his home shortly after what happened at the Sports Festival caused him to fear the worst: that he was being removed from the Hero Program. Whether that meant he was being moved to General Education or expelled, he had no idea.
Instead, his homeroom teacher brought him the first bit of good news he had heard in a while. He gave the Midoriya's a general rundown of the meeting, assuring them that U.A. had their back and would make sure to make everything right.
"What about HPSC? Are they going to issue an apology to my baby boy?" asked Inko.
"Hopefully," replied Aizawa as he looked at her. "After we left, we received a message from the Chairwoman. She has begun to take disciplinary measures against Aultcray Melromarc and will be issuing a statement later tonight, stating that his press conference had not been sanctioned by the HPSC. She is also issuing a full investigation into his actions. How long that will take is hard to say. Given the level of security he has, maybe a couple of months."
The man paused, drinking about half his mug of coffee in one go before continuing. "Now, I want to make it very clear that you are not in trouble," said Aizawa as he looked at Izuku, his eyes softening. "If anyone bears the blame in all of this, it's the teachers for letting things get this bad in the first place. With that said, there are concerns about your mental and emotional well-being. I spoke to Nezu and Recovery Girl after your last match, informing them of what Ashido told me. About how she found you. We all agree it is well past time you spoke to someone about what you're going through. So, when you return to U.A., you will be having a special session with Hound Dog. He's going to gauge your current state and, when you return from internships, he'll have a schedule all worked out.
Hearing this, Izuku nodded without saying anything. He had no idea what caused him to act like that. Had he really just emotionally snapped when Todoroki had compared him to the man who had abused the bi-color haired boy's mother? If that was the case, he needed to do something about it. Because even if he did become like a walking tank that nothing could stop, the damage he could inflict while being in that berserker state was terrifying. And without any means to pull him back from the brink, those fears became nightmares. So, talking to another hero might do him some good.
His mother, however, pursed her lips.
"I'm going to be honest with you," began Inko, her tone heavy. "But I've been wrestling with the idea of taking Izuku out of U.A. Ever since the school year started, I've been living in fear for what would happen to my son. First I am informed that there was a break-in on the school grounds. Then the school was attacked by what sounds like an army of villains with only two teachers to protect the students! And now, my son's name and reputation are being dragged through the mud. You're doing something now, but…" As her voice trailed off with tears running down her face, Aizawa nodded in understanding.
"I understand your situation," he said calmly. "If you want to pull Izuku out of U.A., I will assist you as best I can. I will inform Nezu, who will still help you file for defamation, and we can even put you in touch with a private therapist. However, there is only so much I can do. I can't force other schools to accept your son. Neither can Nezu. And, I'm afraid that if you do pull him out now, the public will see this as an admission of guilt. So, in my honest opinion, I believe that pulling him out right now will do more harm than good."
"Will Hound Dog really be able to make Master not so unhappy?" asked Filo, speaking for the first time as she looked at Aizawa with wide eyes. At first, the man didn't respond as he looked back at the girl. Then, he gave Filo the softest, least creepy smile Izuku had ever seen the man give.
"I believe it will do him some good," replied the man, now eyeing the three sitting before him. "Rational heroes know there are times when they need to get something off their chests or work through serious issues that are plaguing their minds. It's so that they can remain focused and sharp when they are needed. Even if all he needs is a safe place where he can vent his frustrations without judgement or fears that it will get out, it should help."
With that, the man left. But not before taking several large bags filled with letters.