14 Chapter 14

Chapter 14

-The next day-

-Early Morning-

-Mustafa Police Station-

Naomasa rubbed his eyes once again as he looked at the newest folder brought to him. "I really need to sleep," he thought, about to take another swig of his coffee, but a knock on the door stopped him, causing the man to mutter under his breath. "Come in," he said and took a sip of his drink as the door opened, with All Might walking into the office.

"Gotten any sleep?" asked the hero as he closed the door, and soon after debuffed with some coughing.

Naomasa lowered his mug and replied, "Only for a few hours so far." He continued, "We've gathered all the information from the raid, and the interrogation helped us to understand better how things happened." All Might took the opposite seat, and Naomasa added, "I guess I was right about my little theory."

"About Omuni being more than one person?"

Naomasa nodded. "Yeah, that's most likely the case. One of Yíshi's bodyguards told us that he saw Omuni a few minutes after Mirai and I questioned him. So, the distraction was someone else with a projection quirk, based on where the car and the decoys came from," he explained, passing one of the many folders to the hero.

"Interesting," All might said as he opened the folder and began to read through it. "Do we have any leads on who this other Omuni might be?" he asked.

"Not yet," Naomasa replied with a sigh. "But we're working on it, though nothing solid yet."

The hero nodded, understanding the difficulty of the situation. "What about Yíshi?" he asked. "Any progress in his whereabouts?"

"No," Naomasa sighed. "Omuni has probably killed him by now," he continued. "According to another of Yíshi's inner circle, there was another member who disappeared during the night. They believe he was the traitor who helped Omuni," he added, rubbing his eyes once again. "There's already a search party to find him. If we are lucky, Omuni hasn't killed him too."

All Might nodded as he read the folder and glanced up. "What about the victims who were rescued?"

"The Vanguard Foundation offered to help them," Naomasa said, causing his friend to raise an eyebrow.

"The Vanguard Foundation? I didn't hear about that in the news."

"Miss Sakie wanted to keep it private because she believed it would cause unwanted attention," Naomasa explained, causing the man to look a bit more surprised. "I know, I'm surprised too, but according to her, she doesn't want people to question why she's involved in this when her foundation usually keeps away from directly working with us."

"That makes sense," All Might said, putting the folder back on the table. "And any leads on Omuni?" he asked, and Naomasa replied with a shake of his head.

"Sadly, we couldn't find the getaway car he used, or track the call," Naomasa said. "And he has been quiet since."

"Didn't the cameras catch anything?"

"They all malfunctioned," Naomasa explained. "With how things went, it looks like he planned it pretty well, but something is still bothering me."

"Him wanting to improve our image, instead of doing what he usually does?"

"That too, but I was referring to him fighting you, and more exactly what Endeavor told us about his condition."

"With how injured he was? I agree, it's like he wasn't expecting to fight me?" All Might questioned, getting a nod from Naomasa.

"He put himself at a lot of risk, especially for someone who has been extremely cautious so far," Naomasa said. "Something just doesn't add up."

"Indeed. Do you think he wanted us to identify him?"

"Maybe, I don't want to assume he was just reckless, but he still got injured and sent us on this chase that is probably going to take a few days to get through completely so he can most likely rest," Naomasa said, shaking his head slightly.

"And he'll most likely be extra cautious on his next stunt," All Might said, as Naomasa's desk phone rang, making the detective sigh and quickly answer it.

"Yes?" he asked, and that was soon followed up with. "I'm on my way," he replied before hanging up and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Meeting?" All Might asked, only getting a nod from his friend.

"Yeah, Chief Tsuragamae wants to talk to me," Naomasa explained as he stood up, followed by All Might. "I'll call if we have any leads," he assured the hero who buffed up and nodded.

"I'm certain you'll find something sooner or later."

"Hope, it's the former rather than the latter," Naomasa commented as they both made their way out of the office.

-UA-

-Near the School Gate-

"Do you think that the teachers were involved in the raid?" Ochako asked Izuku, as they were making their way toward UA.

"Not really sure," Izuku started. "But that makes sense, since their quirks would be really helpful on a raid like that. Like Ectoplasm could make clones to cause a distraction…" he continued and even started rumbling the many possibilities of how the raid would've happened, while leaving Ochako slightly confused and uncertain about what to do.

"Ah, Deku?" she questioned, but that wasn't enough to pull him out of his rambling. "Deku?" she called him once again, poking him this time, and snapping him out of his rambling state, and he blushed slightly.

He chuckled slightly, attempting to brush it off. "Sorry, I sometimes go too deep in my thoughts and start rambling," Izuku said, which caused Ochako to giggle a bit.

"Yeah, at least you are easy to snap out of it," she commented, as she soon stopped with Izuku, who glanced up to see a swarm of reporters trying to interview any student that passed by.

The two traded looks, a bit uncertain, as they once again started walking toward the school gate, and as soon as they were close, the reporters aimed their attention at the two.

"How is it having All Might as a teacher?" asked one. "How good of a teacher is All Might?" asked another, and more questions of that effect were asked as the two passed the school gate to see Aizawa looking extremely tired at the crowd.

"They've become more annoying," Aizawa grumbled under his breath, before walking to the crowd to get them to leave.

As the two continued walking into the school and made their way to the classroom, Ochako asked something interesting, "What do you think about All Might?" This caught Izuku's attention, and he perked up. "You know, since he's our teacher, and I know he's your favorite hero."

"Is it that obvious?" Izuku chuckled.

"All of your notebooks are All Might-themed, so I just took a guess," Ochako replied, making Izuku chuckle even more.

"Well, it's true," he admitted. "It's probably the best thing to happen for us," Izuku started. "He'll probably teach us ways to deal with the worst types of villains and the true meaning of being a hero," he said, earning a nod from Ochako.

As the two continued their conversation, they eventually reached their classroom. As soon as they entered, they noticed that the class was mostly quiet, with some students focused on Tenya, who standing over Denki, with a stern gaze aimed at him.

Curiosity got the best of Izuku, and he wondered, "What's going on there?" He moved closer to hear the argument.

"I would advise you to take back what you said," Tenya stated, earning a puzzled look from Denki.

"Huh? What exactly do you mean?" the blonde asked, making Tenya even more annoyed.

"The comment you made about Omuni being the reason for the raid that happened over the weekend. It diminishes the work done by the heroes and the police," Tenya explained, causing realization to dawn on Denki.

"Oh, you mean what I was telling Kirishima? Dude, I don't actually believe that's what happened. That's just what the show host said," Denki replied.

"Why do you watch something that's incredibly misleading?" Tenya questioned, his frustration evident. Denki shrugged in response.

"It works well as background noise while I'm studying," he explained, which only slightly aggravated Tenya. Before Tenya could retort, Aizawa walked into the classroom with a binder in hand.

"Sit down. I'm already tired because of those reporters," Aizawa stated, prompting the remaining standing students to take their seats. "Good," he added, heading to his desk. "I've analyzed your battle training, and you did a good job."

He threw a glance at Katsuki, who appeared to be glaring at his desk. "Although some of you were reckless in your approach to the fights," he continued, now looking at Kirishima and Sero, who looked a bit sheepish. "That was one of the main reasons some of you lost."

"It was a promising start, and you should learn from your mistakes to avoid repeating them," Aizawa advised, receiving nods from the students. "Now, for homeroom business," he began, causing some tension in the room. "You need to elect a class president."

The announcement led to a brief silence, followed by numerous students raising their hands and expressing their desire to be chosen.

"Yeah, I'm not even going to attempt that," Izuku thought, noticing Tenya standing up and slamming his hand on his desk to capture his classmates' attention.

"Quiet down, everyone!" Tenya's authoritative voice cut through the noise. "Being responsible for a class of this level is a weighty responsibility. Ambition alone won't equate to ability," he emphasized, looking around at his peers. "The only correct way to choose a class president is through an election!" This statement garnered odd looks from others.

"This is a classroom, not Parliament, man," Kirishima quipped. "Besides, we haven't known each other long enough to determine who's the best fit to lead."

"And everyone could just end up voting for themselves," Tsuyu chimed in.

"That's why the winner will be decided by the one with the most total votes," Tenya clarified. He turned to Aizawa, seeking his approval. Aizawa, already wrapped in his yellow sleeping bag, responded.

"Just make it quick."

After a few minutes passed and everyone had cast their votes, the results were displayed on the board.

Izuku stared at the board, blinking a few times as he saw his name at the top, ahead of the others. "How did I get four votes?!" he exclaimed, standing up. Some classmates looked disheartened, while one in particular appeared annoyed.

"For once, I agree with you. How the hell did you get that many votes? Who even voted for you?" Katsuki yelled, glaring at his own name that had only received one vote.

Meanwhile, Tenya, who had orchestrated the election, looked rather deflated as his name sat at the bottom with zero votes. "Zero votes. It's that harsh... but that's the reality," he murmured to himself. He straightened up and walked over to Izuku, who was lost in thought.

"I have to pawn this to someone else. Maybe I can just hand it over to Tenya," Izuku mused, considering a way to avoid the role. However, his thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Tenya standing over him.

"Hey, yeah?" Izuku questioned as he was pulled out of his contemplation by Tenya.

Tenya extended his hand to Izuku. "I wanted to be the first to congratulate you on being selected as Class President!" he announced, surprising Izuku with the gesture.

"Ah, thanks," Izuku said, shaking Tenya's hand briefly. "But to be honest, I'm considering not taking on the role. I don't really think I'm cut out for something like that."

"Preposterous! You won it fairly by displaying humility and strategic leadership in the battle training. You gained the respect of our classmates," Tenya insisted. "I'm certain you're the best person for the position." He gazed at Izuku with an unusually serious expression for someone their age.

"Why did they choose me out of everyone?" Izuku wondered, not realizing that Aizawa had been watching him before he got up.

"Since you've already picked Midoriya and Yaoyorozu as your class president and vice president, we can move on to other matters," Aizawa announced, emerging from his sleeping bag with another yawn.

-A few hours later-

-UA Cafeteria-

"I really hate that I was chosen," Izuku thought once again as he ate his lunch in the large cafeteria, which was rather packed with many students. "Why would they even think I'm good enough for that?" he pondered, lost in his thoughts.

"Midoriya?!" Tenya called, pulling Izuku out of his reverie. "Are you alright? You seemed to be zoning out," he asked, causing Izuku to look down, a bit embarrassed.

"Ah, sorry. I'm just worried about not being fully prepared for the role of class president," Izuku said, which surprised Ochako.

"Oh, I'm sure you can handle it," Ochako reassured him, earning a nod of agreement from Tenya.

"I agree. You are well-suited to be the class president," Tenya added.

"You both voted for me, didn't you?" Izuku questioned, making Ochako whistle innocently.

"Yes, I did vote for you. As I mentioned in the classroom, you are well-equipped to lead us," Tenya said, while Izuku was sorely tempted to faceplant onto the table.

"But didn't you also want to be President, Ida?" Ochako inquired, receiving a nod from Tenya.

"Yes, I did. However, ambition alone doesn't necessarily translate to ability," he explained, taking a sip of his juice. "I humbly made the decision I felt was right."

"Humbly, my ass," Izuku muttered quietly under his breath.

"By the way you speak about responsibility, I assume you come from a hero family?" Ochako ventured, causing Tenya to choke slightly on his drink and cough. "Sorry!"

"It's alright. To be honest, I prefer to keep that aspect hidden, but yes, I am from the renowned hero family, the Ida Family," Tenya confirmed, surprising Ochako and prompting her to glance at Izuku.

"Looks like you were right, Deku," she remarked, raising an eyebrow at Tenya, who looked at Izuku with a slightly reddened face.

"What do you mean?"

"After the combat training, Izuku and I were talking. He mentioned some of our classmates who come from hero families, and he specifically mentioned that you're part of one," Ochako explained.

"Impressive. I've been trying to keep it concealed, so how did you figure it out, Midoriya?" Tenya inquired.

Izuku let out a small sigh. "Well, you don't hide it all that well. Your full name is easy to find and search. Your quirk shares physical attributes with your brother and father. Moreover, your family is the only one I know of that designs hero costumes inspired by knight's armor," Izuku concluded, leaving Tenya surprised.

Tenya took a moment before clearing his throat. "Thank you for the explanation. It appears my attempts at concealment have been quite feeble. However, your keen eye for details reaffirms my belief in making the right choice," he said.

"Damn it, me," Izuku thought to himself, though he simply nodded. "Well, I do enjoy researching heroes, but it's just a habit."

"I'm curious, how much do you know about my brother?" Tenya inquired, causing Izuku to hesitate slightly, mindful not to reveal too much inadvertently.

"Not much, to be honest. I know he has an agency in Tokyo with around sixty-five sidekicks..." Izuku began but caught himself before he rambled further. "I'm sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. I was the one who asked. Your knowledge about heroes is quite extensive," Tenya acknowledged with a smile. "He's my hero and inspiration. His leadership and unwavering commitment to rules are qualities I aspire to attain. At the moment, I realize I'm not yet prepared to lead, whereas you've demonstrated that, Midoriya," Tenya affirmed, earning a slight nod from Izuku.

"You hold your brother in high regard, Ida," Ochako commented.

"Yes, not just my brother, but many heroes. I respect anyone willing to put themselves on the line to save others," Tenya explained.

"Is that one of the reasons you argued with Kaminari?" Izuku asked, catching their attention.

Tenya's expression tightened, and he sighed. "His statements struck a nerve in me. Even though it's just a show he listens for entertainment, the repeated defense of that villain has become excessive."

"Did your classmates at your previous school also discuss about Omuni a lot?" Izuku inquired, receiving affirming nods from both of them.

"Some of my classmates even shared videos of people exploring crime scenes after the police had cleared the bodies," Ochako said, a grimace crossing her face as she recalled the morbid fascination they had shown and the quasi-cultish behavior associated with it.

"Mine justified his actions. As if rampaging through the city and killing people without consequence could ever be justified," Tenya said, his grip on his hand tightening. "And after yesterday's raid, with the amount of people, saying that Omuni was behind the raid, as if the police and heroes weren't the ones rescuing victims and apprehending criminals. It sickens me."

Izuku observed their reactions—the disturbed expression on Ochako's face and the heated demeanor of Tenya. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from," he thought, his expression slightly furrowed.

"Was your brother part of one of the rescue teams?" Izuku asked, directing Tenya's attention once more.

"He was. He actually returned a few minutes before I was about to leave," Tenya replied, his gaze dropping to his plate. "He seemed disturbed, mentioned it was just exhaustion, but from the descriptions of how some victims were found... I suspect it was more than mere tiredness," he added, looking back at Izuku, who maintained a neutral, almost unreadable expression, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

"That's one of the reasons why it annoyed me—the rescue team probably encountered multiple distressing scenarios. Diminishing their efforts to promote a criminal is something that really gets on my nerves," Tenya explained, his hands shaking slightly from the irritation he felt. He began to calm down gradually. "Apologies for going on a rant," he said, clearing his throat.

"It's alright, Ida. I understand. In my last months at my previous school, you couldn't go a week without someone mentioning him. However, at least most agreed that he's truly evil," Izuku explained, receiving a nod of understanding from Tenya.

"And what about you, Midoriya? What are your thoughts on Omuni?" Tenya inquired.

"He's a psychopathic killer with barbaric methods," Izuku replied, maintaining his neutral expression. Tenya interpreted this as them sharing the same perspective.

But before Tenya could respond, a loud alarm suddenly blared, startling everyone. "Security Level 3 has been breached! All students, please evacuate in an orderly manner!" a voice announced through the speakers, inducing panic and causing everyone to start running in different directions.

"Don't they have drills for this?" Izuku mused quietly, observing the chaotic rush even though there were no signs of an explosion or a significant threat to UA. "Maybe I'm overthinking it," he thought to himself, standing up as he saw Tenya and Ochako preparing to run as well.

He briefly considered stopping them but opted against it. "Wait, this could be an opportunity," he realized. He joined the rush of students, staying towards the back to avoid getting trapped against a wall or people.

As the crowd surged forward, Tenya found himself pressed against a window as other students raced past. "Who could have infiltrated?" he wondered aloud, glancing at the window and realizing that it was only reporters who had breached the school. "It's the press!" he shouted in an attempt to halt the others running, but his words were drowned out by the panic.

"Everyone, calm down!" he shouted even louder, but the chaos prevailed. "I need a way to grab their attention," he thought urgently. "What would Midoriya do? Or my brother?" he pondered, trying to formulate a plan.

"Ida!!!" he heard, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see Ochako, who, like many others, was struggling amidst the crowd. This triggered an idea. "Uraraka, make me float!" he yelled, elbowing his way through the mass and extending his hand. Fortunately, he reached her.

Using his Quirk to propel himself upward, he headed toward the exit. However, he miscalculated and crashed into the top of the exit sign, knocking his glasses off. He ignored it, focusing on his objective. Taking a deep breath, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "We're all okay!" His voice cut through the panic, making everyone stop in their tracks. "It's just the press. There's no need to panic. We're safe!" he declared once more, effectively halting the rush.

Izuku couldn't help but grin, hanging back as he listened to Tenya take charge. "I'm relieved he stepped up. I thought I would need to step in," he thought, glancing at the reporters. "But how did they manage to get in?"

-A few minutes later-

-Class 1-A-

With the media situation handled, everyone was instructed to return to their classrooms and await further instructions from their teachers.

Now in their classroom, Class 1-A sat quietly, watching Izuku and Momo who stood at the front. Izuku cleared his throat, a bit uncomfortable addressing a crowd. "We'd like to nominate the other council members, but before that, I want to announce that I'm stepping down as Class President. Instead, I believe Ida is better suited for the role," he began, eliciting surprised looks, particularly from Tenya.

"I think he's the best choice after witnessing his ability to take charge during the cafeteria incident. Therefore, I propose him as the new Class President," Izuku explained. "Any objections to my decision?"

"None from me. No offense, Midoriya, but Ida really showed his leadership back there," Kirishima chimed in, receiving nods of agreement from others who cared about the matter.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Tenya stood up and nodded. "I humbly accept the position!" he declared, earning a small smile from Izuku. As he made his way back to his seat, but before he sat down, his phone vibrated. He retrieved it quickly, seeing a message from All Might.

"Meet me at my office after school. We need to talk," the message read, filling Izuku with a hint of anxiety. It had been a few days since he last saw All Might, and given the recent attack, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something serious had occurred. "I really hate being kept in the dark like this."

-Late Afternoon-

-UA-

"Here goes nothing," Izuku thought, his hand poised to knock on All Might's office door. The door swung open, revealing a woman with orange hair. Izuku recognized her as the same person who had escorted Aizawa to his classroom on the first day.

"Hello there, Midoriya," she greeted, holding the door open for him. The office was decently sized and well-furnished. All Might sat on one of the couches, his form deflated.

"Uh, hey," Izuku greeted, a bit uncertain about how to address her. He entered the office and closed the door.

"Good afternoon, young Midoriya," All Might greeted with a smile, nodding to the woman. "Thank you for checking on me, Gwen," he said.

"No worries, uncle. Besides, I get to meet your successor," she said with a smile, glancing over at Izuku. "I was supposed to be a teacher in your year, but I got pushed to the second year," she explained. "I'm Gwen Minogashita, or Radiant Strider, whichever you prefer," she introduced herself.

Izuku took a moment to process this, and he couldn't hide his genuine surprise and shock at meeting her. "Radiant Strider? I thought I recognized you!" he exclaimed, his excitement evident. "What are you doing here? Doesn't your agency need you? Is that why you rarely make appearances on TV or events?" He fired off a rapid succession of questions, causing Gwen to burst into laughter.

"I thought you were exaggerating when you said he knows a lot about heroes," she remarked, glancing at All Might, who chuckled along with her.

After his barrage of questions about forty or so Izuku finally stopped, blushing a bit embarrassed at his own enthusiasm. "Ah, sorry... I got carried away," he admitted sheepishly.

"Nonsense. It's refreshing to meet a superfan," Gwen reassured him, her laughter subsiding. "Sadly, I can't answer all your questions right now, and I couldn't catch them all either. I was just on my way out, stopping by to visit All Might before heading out on patrol," she explained.

"Could we schedule a time for me to ask you a few questions?" Izuku asked, seizing the opportunity.

"That can be arranged. I'd like to ask you some questions as well," she agreed, opening the door again.

"Deal!" Izuku responded eagerly as Gwen waved goodbye and left. "You didn't mention that Radiant Strider was here at the school?!" he stated at All Might, turning his attention to the hero.

All Might laughed even more, to the point where he started coughing, a bit of blood escaping his lips. Izuku grew concerned, but All Might raised his hand to reassure him and calmed his coughing. "I'm fine, Young Midoriya. No need to worry," he said, clearing his throat. "I thought you already knew, considering your uncanny ability to know everything about heroes. You're like a walking encyclopedia," he jested, making Izuku feel a tad sheepish.

"But that's not the reason I wanted to talk to you," All Might continued, straightening up. Izuku walked over to the couch, facing the hero. "I assume you're aware of the raid that occurred on Sunday morning?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Izuku, who nodded in response.

"During the raid, I encountered Omuni and fought him," All Might revealed. Izuku's stomach sank at the information, confirming his worst fears.

Ben was undoubtedly powerful, but facing off against All Might was on a whole other level. Izuku felt his hands grip the armrest, anxiety gnawing at him. "Ben, you fucking idiot," he thought, a tinge of anger mixed with his anxiety.

All Might noticed the sudden shift in Izuku's demeanor and was about to say something when Izuku cut him off.

"Are you hurt!? Are you okay!?" Izuku blurted out in a yell, quickly covering his mouth, his face turning bright red.

All Might remained silent for a few moments, then chuckled softly. "I'm not injured, Young Midoriya. You don't need to worry about me," he reassured Izuku, who slowly nodded, his mouth still covered.

"But unfortunately, he managed to escape," All Might continued with a sigh. "I suspect he planned the confrontation deliberately, but that's not the reason I called you here."

Izuku gradually uncovered his mouth, no longer in danger of blurting out anything accidentally, he hoped. "So, what is the reason?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

All Might remained silent for a bit longer, which only exacerbated Izuku's anxiety. "He knows about One For All," All Might began. "He knows that One For All is passed down, and he's aware of the fates of those close to its users," All Might explained, making Izuku feel slightly calmer but still on edge.

"The reason I called you here is to advise you to be more cautious, Midoriya. Stay alert from now on, and if you need to use One For All to escape, I'll handle any consequences that arise," he explained slowly, easing some of Izuku's tension and putting up a brave front.

"But at least, he doesn't know that I've passed on All For One," he added with a faint grimace. "Though it doesn't help that he most likely worked or still works with All For One," he concluded, trailing off, his attempt to gather more information evident.

"He can't be working with All For One," Izuku thought to himself, attempting to rationalize the information. "He probably said that to distract All Might, but that might explain how he knows so much about One For All..."

"Midoriya?" All Might's voice snapped him out of his deep contemplation. "Are you alright?" he asked, genuine concern evident in his tone.

Izuku nodded slightly, albeit shakily. "Yeah... The thought of a villain who's worked with All For One, to the point where he knows so much about not just the quirk but also about you... and yet you know almost nothing about him. It's incredibly unnerving," he admitted, his expression reflecting his anxiety.

"Not fully," All Might assured him, causing Izuku to perk up slightly. "Endeavor managed to obtain a description of him," he continued, making Izuku gulp nervously. "I also managed to confirm that he possesses more than one quirk, which further supports my suspicion that he's connected to All For One."

"What does he look like, and what quirks does he have?" Izuku inquired urgently.

"He has purple eyes, white hair, light skin, a slim build, and he's somewhat tall," All Might described. "As for his quirks, there's one that weakens or nullifies other quirks the closer you are to him, a healing factor, and an energy armor-like quirk," he explained.

"I see, I'll keep an eye out in case I come across someone like that."

"That's what I'm asking, and if you do see him, I wouldn't advise you to confront him. Even though you're making good progress, you're still in training," All Might commented. "And I still have time left. I promise you, I won't retire until I've put Omuni behind bars."

All Might took a deep breath and stood up. "That will be all, Young Midoriya," he said, prompting Izuku to sigh heavily and stand up.

"Actually, I have a question... You mentioned you weren't seriously injured, but did you sustain any injuries at all?" Izuku asked, concern evident in his voice. All Might sighed in response.

"Not exactly. It's more that I had difficulty breathing normally. He used smoke bombs laced with something that made it hard to breathe. But it wasn't anything severe, and I've since recovered," All Might explained. "You should head home now. I've taken up enough of your time," he added with a lighter tone, prompting a nod from Izuku.

"Alright, see you tomorrow, All Might," Izuku bid farewell as he left the office. He walked with measured steps, trying to maintain his composure, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. His hands clenched tightly, trembling more with each step. "Why would he challenge All Might of all people?" he wondered, struggling to keep his emotions in check. A sudden explosion caught his attention as he glanced out the window, momentarily putting him on edge. However, he realized it was just Katsuki training, which offered a moment of relief.

"I'm surprised he's still here," Izuku thought, the distraction helping him regain his composure before he continued walking.

-Training Ground-

"Damn it!" Katsuki thought, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. He moved his arms, flinching at the sharp pain that shot through them. "No way in hell, that's my limit," he thought, creating another massive explosion that pushed him back and exacerbated the pain in his arms. He regained his footing quickly.

His hands had dried somewhat, motivating him to attempt another explosion, only to have it fizzle out. "Fuck!" he yelled, attempting it once more, unaware that Aizawa had entered the training ground.

"Training like this won't yield much progress," Aizawa remarked, catching Katsuki's attention. His eyes were red blocking the teen's quirk, then quickly shifted back to normal. "You're only causing harm to yourself before you even have a chance to improve," Aizawa added, earning a dismissive click from Katsuki, who looked away.

Aizawa sighed. "There's always one of these in the first year," he thought. "If you want to build resistance without pushing yourself to the limit each time, try soaking your hands in boiling water. That way, you can get close to creating powerful explosions without pushing yourself to your limit," he explained, eliciting silence from the blonde.

"And if you're looking to increase your overall output, do the opposite—use cold water until you can create strong enough explosions without straining," Aizawa continued.

Although he didn't say anything, Katsuki mentally noted the advice, a bit annoyed that he hadn't thought of it himself. "Yeah, whatever."

"If you need more advice, you know where to find me," Aizawa said with a yawn, beginning to walk away. "Oh, and one last thing," he added, regaining Katsuki's attention. "Tame your ego. Bakugou, you have enormous potential, and I won't stand to see it wasted due to your inability to control yourself," he concluded before departing, leaving Katsuki to his own devices.

Katsuki snorted, grabbing his backpack. "Like he understands anything about me," he thought, clenching the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I need to put that Peppermint idiot in his place, just like I did with Deku and his weirdo brother," he thought.

Nearly a year had passed, but the memory of that encounter was still vivid in his mind. Meeting Ben had left him feeling infuriated by how easily Ben had bested him. What bothered him more, though, was the profound impact Ben had on Izuku, changing him from the person Katsuki had known.

"I have to figure out what he did," Katsuki thought, heading out of the training ground.

-Ben's House-

-Living Room-

Yusei sighed heavily, leaning against the couch with a cup of tea in hand. "Finally, a moment to rest," he thought, removing his glasses and using their reflection to observe the heavy bags under his eyes. Taking a sip of his tea was interrupted by the sound of the main door being slammed open and shut. "For fuck's sake," he thought, already anticipating what was coming.

"Why the fuck, didn't you tell me Ben fought All might! And that he was injured!" Izuku shouted as he entered the living room "Yusei, you are supposed to be the voice of reason for Ben, what is a good reason for him to fight All Might!"

Yusei let out a weary sigh, placing his tea on the coffee table. "Izuku, I understand that it looks really bad—"

"It looks terrible! I almost spilled everything because All Might was the one who informed me," Izuku interjected, frustration evident in his voice. "And where is Ben? How badly is he hurt?" He continued to raise his voice, while Yusei looked at him with a touch of exhaustion.

"I thought Lilith told you," Yusei muttered. "She complains about me being secretive but she does the same shit," he thought. "Look Izuku, the mission happened and All Might showed up. If Ben didn't fight him, we wouldn't be able to catch our main target," he explained quickly which caused the opposite that he expected

"Bullshit" Izuku retorted, a mix of skepticism and annoyance in his tone. "And where is he?" Izuku asked with a rather neutral look almost the same one he gave Tenya earlier today. "I want to talk to Ben, for him to explain to me fully what went through his skull. He probably has a quirk or gadget or something else that I can't think of that would let him escape without fighting All Might. I doubt that it was a surprised, hell wouldn't you notice All Might the minute he was in the area where you were doing your mission?"

"Okay, he is more deductive than, I give him credit," Yusei thought and sighed once again. "Alright, he is at this moment in a healing pod at Titan Enterprise. Byoki is taking care of him so you don't have to worry, alright?" Yusei tried to reassure him which just made Izuku sigh deeply.

"Next time, tell me so I won't be caught by surprised," Izuku said still having the neutral look. "But there's something else…I know you guys do very questionable things, but have you worked with All For One?"

Yusei took a few moments before he sighed once again, he thought that he would finally get some rest. But somehow this was stressful than dealing with Lilith. "Well not directly,"

"Why?" Izuku demanded eyes turning into a stern glare something that surprised Yusei. "I know you murder and do a lot of messed up stuff to people that deserve it, but why would you out all people work with All for One who's on the far extreme of being evil?"

"Ask Ben," Yusei replied. "As much as I'm the voice of reason, when it comes to planning and this kind of stuff Ben, doesn't usually ask for my help."

"I'm not asking about Ben, I'm asking about you personally Yusei, don't you feel anything knowing that you have or even are working with All for One?" he asked to which Yusei grumbled something. "Wouldn't you talk Ben out of something like that?"

"I do try, but unlike the smaller-scale villains we face, our usual tactics aren't suffice against All For One. You yourself mentioned that you believe Ben has many tricks up his sleeve to evade a fight. However, All For One possesses even more that we're unaware of, and we can't predict or counter them. Until we gather more information, we're forced to bide our time to avoid unnecessary casualties. As much as I despise it, this strategy is essential to uncovering his weaknesses and devising a plan," Yusei explained making Izuku's frown and his glare to lessen, and nodding a bit.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I'm sorry for snapping at you," Izuku said backing away. "I'm not feeling hungry, I'll be in my room," he said exiting the leaving room.

Yusei took another breath before he took a sip of tea and got back comfortable in the couch. "I'm going on a week vacation, as soon he wakes up. I'm too tired dealing with this," he thought a bit annoyed as he watched the news.