Chapter 77: Conversations and Condemnation

An attack like the summer camp incident isnt one which can be ignored, and the teachers need to asnwer for it, finding that the media isnt as sympathetic to their situation, while concerns are raised on one related issue...or person.

Their confrontation in front of the hospital had gone unnoticed, or at least any staff who saw them didn't suspect what their plans had been, so their student rescue team could set off. As they did so, Tetsutetsu, along with Kirishima and Todoroki, again repeated that they weren't looking for a fight. They were to grab Midoriya and, if she was present as well, Ragdoll, and get the hell out of there.

They seemed optimistic, as with 8 people with varying quirks and talents, they could better cover for each other's weaknesses and maximise their strengths. However, even though they discussed a rudimentary role assignment, Yaoyorozu had doubts.

She wasn't as invested as the rest, not because she didn't care, but because she wasn't so blinded by frustration that they didn't care. 'A rescue without fighting? It's just not realistic. No matter how much we plan, the villains won't be so easily deceived or suppressed.' Momo frowned as she listened to Kendo talk.

'Hopefully, when they see the odds we'll be faced against, Kendo and I can finally bring them back from the brink.' At least, she hoped, but she didn't dare mention it. She might have been important to this, being the one with a tracking device she could easily break. Still, it would be foolish to plant the seeds of internal frustrations and distrust when this was a scheme with such high stakes.

Arriving at the station, they were all able to board the train without issues. With it being so late, they found an empty car, which was good as it meant they could continue to discuss things in relative privacy.

“We’re heading to Yokoyama city?” Kendo asked, having seen Yaoyorozu purchase their tickets.

“Yes, according to the chip we planted, our target is located in Kamino ward. As we get closer, we should be able to get a more detailed location.” Yaoyorozu confirmed, her eye locked on the tracking device in her hand.

"So that's two hours away. We should arrive around 10. Cliché as it might be, we'll be operating within the times where villains thrive." Monoma relaxed into his seat, trying to keep calm and get into the right mindset for this.

Tsunotori nodded, but she looked towards Tetsutetsu, the one who got her involved in this. "Listen, Tetsu, did you tell the rest about this? Like, really tell them?"

Tetsutetsu knew what she was really asking. "We did, but they tried to talk us out of it. It's surprising that after all that, Kendo still showed up." Tetsutetsu replied, as he had been fully expecting this would just be him, before Kirishima had approached him and offered to help him with Todoroki.

Looking towards Kendo, she sat with her arms crossed, her face a complicated mess of emotions. Still, exasperation was the easiest to pick up. “Believe me, I’m not all that happy about this either, but I couldn’t just sit back either.”

"Kamakiri wished to partake in our little search and rescue, but he couldn't escape his house. His parents have been watching him since the summer camp." Monoma replied, as the brawler had been eager to lend aid, and had been pretty vocal about it when Tetsutetsu brought this up again once they left Tsunotori’s hospital room.

"Makes sense, you all have been attacked twice during school-related events. Endeavour wouldn't have probably grounded me if he were at home." Todoroki stated that, as his father had only looked into him to confirm he wasn't harmed, and when he had that, it was back to work. Though Shoto preferred that, as it was the honest, expected response.

His father, acting anything close to a real dad, would just throw him off.

“So, no one tried to stop you? Like, not your mom or….?” Tetsutetsu asked, which, if this was the beginning of the year, would have gotten Todoroki to glare at him and shut him down. Still, as much as that stung, he couldn't fault him for an honest question. It wasn't as if the people present would know better.

"My mother doesn't live at home, and I just told my sister I was going out with friends to clear my head, which wasn't a complete lie," Todoroki replied, knowing his sister would be furious if she found out about this, so hopefully they could do this without drawing attention so he can get back home and keep up the lie.

"I did sneak out." That came as a surprise as they looked towards Komori, who sat with her hands pressed into her lap. The girl was so nervous that the blind could pick up on it. “I left a note saying I was out with friends too, but I’m sure my folks are still worried.”

“Still, the fact remains we’re going against everyone’s wishes with this, and only making our families worry. We can still turn away; it’s not too late for that.” Todoroki told them, but Tetsutetsu made his feelings clear.

“No way, I got a chance to make up for my failures at the camp, I ain’t backing down now.” The white haired teen replied, getting nods from the rest of them.

"We all feel the same, don't we? We want to be heroes, which means helping people; right now, 2 people need us. Midoriya needs us, so yeah," Pony looked Todoroki in the eye. “Try and stop me.”

Kendo took a breath but nodded. "Then it's decided: we stay the course."

Line Break

Fortunately for them, there were no delays, and within 2 hours, their train pulled into the station at their destination. Stepping out, they could immediately tell the difference. Despite it being 10PM, the streets were packed with life as people went about their evenings, some doing some nighttime shopping, but most taking advantage of the myriad bars, clubs, and restaurants.

“So this is Kamino?” Tsunotori asked.

“How are the villains hiding in a place this crowded?” Komori asked.

"Maybe that's the point? After all, during our first hero class, we learned that villains are masters of hiding, and who would look for them here?" Monoma stated, as he recalled Midnight’s words about villains.

Tetsutetsu punched his palm, eager to get started. "Well, we have a way to find them, which they don't know about, which means we can jump on them this time."

“Oh yeah, just tell me where to go!” Kirishima agreed and nearly ran off in a random direction if not for Yaoyorozu grabbing onto him.

“Wait a second!” She scolded him. "We arrived without issue, but we need to move more carefully."

Kendo nodded, her eyes on the crowds around them, which weren't paying too much attention to them, but she saw a couple of people look their way, one or two with looks of recognition on their faces. "She's right. The villains know what we look like, and I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm pretty sure we're the only high school students out this late.”

Pony thought about it and agreed with her. With stuff like the Sports Festival, they kind of broadcast their faces to the entire country. Sure, she didn't make too much of an impact. Still, she was part of the 6 who made it to the finals, and unlike Monoma and Yaoyorozu, she and the rest had made some sort of impact during it.

"Oh yeah, you're right, but how are we going to blend in? My horns pop off, but they grow back just as fast, " she asked, pointing to her horns.

“But you’re also our scout, won’t mean much if you’re made before you see them.” Monoma reached for his chin, as the worst case was that the villains realised they had been found early and moved, as they still had Kurogiri.

“Yaoyorozu can-” Kendo moved to speak, but Yaoyorozu beat her.

But not with what Kendo had been planning to suggest. “I can pay for some disguises.” With a small blush and a barely concealed eager look in her eyes, Momo pointed towards a clothing store called Dirt Cheap Donki Oote. Its sign was large and visible, loud with its bold use of red and yellow, along with lights, lots of them.

Line Break

Pulling back on the dressing booth curtain, Todoroki presented himself to the group. Having swapped out his clothing, he wore a simple black suit, sans the jacket, with a black button vest. Underneath, he had gone with a light blue shirt whose sleeves had been rolled up to just beneath his elbows. Lastly, to cover his identifiable scar, he wore a black wig with a large bang covering the left side of his face.

"This is me, incognito," Todoroki stated, putting no effort or life into his supposed role.

“Now we blend in perfectly.” Yaoyorozu was much more expressive with her design and attitude, as she had gone with a shin-length dark pink dress, with a similar coloured fabric belt hugging it close to her waist, with cheap gold bracelets on both wrists, along with a necklace made from golden rings. She hadn't worn a wing, but had bought some hair products to style it differently from her typically large and thick ponytail, finishing the look with a pair of white rimmed sun-glasses, the sort a native of this sort of ward would wear despite it being so late.

"This is so embarrassing!” Komori, as soon as she came out, looked like she wanted to dive back in and change back into her typical clothing. For those in class B, they could see why, as she was similar to Shiozaki when it came to fashion, if only in that she didn't show much skin and preferred more conventionally cute and pretty styles.

This was not that.

She wore a charcoal-black, structured-shouldered duster coat belted high beneath the bust, its mid-thigh length balancing the silhouette. Her plum wrap V-neck crop revealed a sliver of midriff, paired with high-waist deep-burgundy shorts that extended slightly to avoid cutting the thigh. On her feet were dark-brown knee-high boots with slim shafts, tapered toes, and chunky two-inch heels. A small burnt-orange scarf at her throat and warm bronze eyeshadow around her brown eyes softened the look.

Since Komori's eyes were usually hidden by her natural brown hair, Momo had decided she should wear only the deep-teal wig, styled wild and fluffy like Ashido's.

“I am surprised they had so much on stock, though I wish this wig fit a little better.” Monoma came out wearing a brown wig and green contacts. His outfit was a slim-fit black muscle shirt, a structured black leather jacket, one size too big with defined shoulders to give his upper body more physical presence. For pants, like the rest, they were slim-straight black trousers with a medium-width stud-covered belt and large leather boots, black like the rest, adding half an inch to his height. The only real difference in colour was the shades of black in his outfit.

"I look so ridiculous. I would never wear this." Kendo was the next out, and seeing her made Monoma, Tetsutetsu, and Kirishima slack-jawed. At the same time, Todoroki just nodded, and Komori blushed. Much like Todoroki, she had gone with a wing. In her case, Momo had purchased a flowing, long, blue-haired wing along with a pair of cinnabar contact lenses.

Along with that, she came out wearing a muted cinnabar, off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved crop top with a ruched front tie, which showed plenty of skin, including her toned mid-section and some of her bust. This was paired with black skim-fitting jeans, held just below her belly button to draw attention to her slim waistline. Finishing off the look, she wore 2 layered rose gold necklaces, rings on some of her fingers, and a black handbag with a silver chain.

“Omg, giiirl, you sooo should, you look, like, literally amaaazing in it!” Tsunotori came out a lot more into it, just like Yaoyorozu. She wore a wig, but it was just a shinier blonde than her natural hair, which seemed bathed in hair spray and conditioner. Like Momo, she also wore sunglasses but they were a bright pink trim.

For her outfit, she wore a cropped olive jacket, a navy-blue wrap top with golden accents, high-waisted denim shorts with a medium-width gold belt, and slim, knee-high dark brown 1-inch heeled boots with just a little jewellery thrown in. Lastly, she painted her horns bright pink with golden stripes, an odd move that would not be what one would expect if one assumed she was trying to hide.

“This is weird, but the good kind. I might come back here and buy some stuff later.” Tetsutetsu wore a blue and white patterned button-up, black pants, and white and silver shoes. It was one of the simple designs, but he added a little flair with his collar popped to show off his silver necklace. At the same time, his left arm, from his wrist to his shoulder, was covered in fake tattoos, which looked pretty real. That, combined with his slick hair, made him seem more like a Yakuza than a student.

"I know, right. I am digging this look." Kirishima had a similar look, though he had gone with a red outfit, with a white shirt under an open jacket. He had also washed his hair to get the gel out, leaving it dyed red but now much more relaxed than the spiky style he typically had. He added to this look with a pair of fake horns carefully worn to appear legit.

Line Break

“Oh my gawd, Shotoooo, you shoulda have put way more effort into that look. You had such hot vibes — pretty girls like us only roll with Chads, literally!” Tsunotori fawned over Todoroki as the group walked out the door, leaving the fire and ice user to look at himself, a little worried that he didn't do a good enough job at disguising himself.

“Really, should I go back in?”

"Sorry, but we don't have time for Pony to play dress up with you, Todoroki," Monoma replied for Kendo, who, like Komori, was still very much not a fan of their outfits, the smaller girl hiding behind Kirishima, which had some people assume they were dating.

If only Kuroiro were here, he would have lost his mind over that. Monoma would need to ensure the rest didn't tell the shadow jumper.

"Still, we're blending in nicely. No one would suspect we're high schoolers, certainly not the villains." Yaoyorozu seemed quite proud of herself, as this was the first time she was able to experiment with poo-with commoner people's clothing, and she thought she did a good job. All those hours watching reality TV seemed to be paying off.

“Speaking of time, couldn’t you have used your quirk for this and saved us the time and money?” Todoroki asked, as they had spent 20 minutes on this task alone, and it wasn’t as if they had all the time to burn.

His honest question seemed to tip up the star student, as Yaoyorozu grew flustered and fidgety, almost like how he had seen Mineta or Kaminari would get when Jiro called them out for something perverse.

He wondered why Momo was acting like that.

"I mea-well, okay, yes, I could have, but that would have been against the rules. Yes, the rules. If I just start making everyone I need, it undermines all these hard-working stores. As a citizen, it's my job to support them with my purchases!" Todoroki accepted the response without question, but the rest could see straight through it.

"I have a feeling the rich girl just wanted to go shopping," Kirishima stated.

“Yup.” Kendo sighed.

"Kinda obvious," Monoma added.

Hoping to not talk about that any longer, Momo stepped ahead and gestured down a street. “Anyway, we shouldn’t stand around. Our destination is this way; we should be able to make it in around-”

“Wow, it’s U.A. high!” Someone in the crowd called out, throwing them into a minor panic.

“Crap!” Pony whispered as loud as she dared under her breath. Wondering how their disguises could fail so quickly, she realized no one was looking at them but at a big screen mounted on the side of a building. “What?”

"Is that Eraserhead?" Monoma asked, seeing the typically scruffy and worn man dressed in a fine suit, having showered and properly groomed. Vlad was in a similar suit, while the principal dressed the same, but he swore the chimera's fur was even shinier than normal.

“And Vlad-sensei and the principal as well. What is going on?” Komori asked, only for the news to answer for her.

“Let's return to a short clip from the U.A. high press conference, which just wrapped up.”

"I didn't know there was a press conference today," Tetsutetsu whispered, only for Vlad’s voice to cut through.

“We are here to apologise. A recent incident caused harm to 20 first-year hero students under our care and guidance. It was an incident for which we staff were ill-prepared and took full responsibility.” Vlad spoke up, surprising his students, as he was acting like it was neglect, but no one could have seen that coming.

Vlad, Eraser, and Nezu bowed to the media as the cameras flashed. “It is our duty as heroes to instruct them and see them become the heroes of tomorrow, but it's just as important we protect them now, and that is something we failed miserably at.”

"This is crazy, Aizawa-sensei hated the media," Kirishima muttered.

“I’ll take the first question,” An unseen reporter spoke up, the rest falling silent. “Since the beginning of the school year, your first years has been involved in no less than 4 separate villain incidents. While it's true that I-island can't be laid at your feet, this time is different. Like you said, they were under your supervision, and yet there were reports that several students were seriously injured. What are you telling their families, and what steps are you taking to address what seems to be a serious security issue at your school?”

"That's one loaded question," Todoroki noted, his brow creased in irritation.

“They’re fishing, they want him or Aizawa-sensei to get angry, to slip up and make things worse.” Yaoyorozu frowned, as she was more aware of how things played out because of her upbringing. Her parents might have sheltered from the media's attention, but they had ensured she was taught how to handle them.

“But, they are the doing it? They’re treating them like villains.” Pony asked, as this didn’t seem like they wanted truth at all, they just wanted to push buttons like bullies, trying to push the teachers till they threw the first punch.

Nezu responded to the question, his tone much flatter than normal, lacking that jovial, trickster energy he always had when addressing the students.

“We are in consultation with several security firms at this very moment, and in the meantime, we have increased patrols around the school grounds. We are rushing to ensure that the school’s security is upgraded in every field, for the safety of the students will always be our top priority.”

His response didn’t win him any favours in the crowd as one man turned to another. “What are these dudes thinking?”

The second man scoffed at the response. "Top priority, my ass, didn't that fire kid and Todoroki fight Stain on a school-sanctioned thing or something? How long till something like that gets one of them killed?" Todoroki clenched his hands, recalling that day, no one seemed to care then, when they won, why care now?

He didn't know, but it seemed the sentiment was spreading as more and more people started to speak out, judging U.A., calling them failures, or suggesting they close down for a while as they sort things out, if not somehow find these villains as if it were as simple as finding your phone.

‘This is bad.’ Monoma thought to himself, remaining silent like the rest of his group in fear of outing themselves, not as students of U.A., but as supporters in what seemed to be a growing crowd against U.A.

‘They’re tuning against the heroes.’ Kendo bit her lip, trying to think of a way to calm them without leading somewhere she would rather not, but while they needed to get moving, it was important to see what was being said.

Line Break

The news was being played in a certain bar, and like the students, the villains gathered were surprised by how unforgiving the media was with the pros. However, they were much more pleased with it. "Wow, I expected them to act out, but this is even better than I hoped." Shigaraki laughed as he carefully built a house of cards.

Cleaning one of his masks, Mr. Compress sat close to him, similarly amused by things but having some insider insight into such actions. "Such is the curse of the stage. You can be the greatest performer, but a few bad shows, or even just a slip during your routine, and suddenly everyone's a critic."

“Still, everyone makes a mistake or two, right? We can all fuck up from time to time, some big, some small. So why is it that when the pros who work so hard for the safety and happiness of the masses mess up, they face so judgment?" Shigaraki asked, happy with how much their plans had gone in their favour.

"Oh yeah, it's real rough! No way, it's super easy!" Twice cheered as he had a drink, Kurogiri having served him and Toga something non-alcoholic as he wasn’t about to let this dangerous group of mentally questionable people get drunk.

"It's the natural result of their mistakes over the years." Their feathered member, who sat to the side nursing his drink, had a plate of half-eaten food in front of him. “Ever since our smiling symbol showed up, he’s basically stood at the top as what it means to be perfect. All of us scurry around in the dirt and the dark because we know we could take us out just like that,” He snapped his fingers, creating little sparks of frost.

He smiled, a chuckle leaving his lips as he continued. “But, All Might’s a contradiction. He’s mortal, he bleeds, he eats, he shits like the rest of us-but people don’t see that. They see a demi-god, a heroic figure like all those myths we learn about. And because of that, every other hero is held up to that same impossible standard.”

Compress agreed with the sentiment, as when one thought about it, it was a system much more fragile than it appeared, a glass castle. "They could have stopped this years ago. Not everyone can be the Star of the Show, the once-in-a-generation acting talent who can carry even the worst projects to decent showings on their backs. But all these B and C-listers pretended otherwise, and now that their flaws are being shown."

“You two idiots speak with too many comparisons.” Dabi groaned. The woman was seated in a booth by herself, her arms crossed as she had been trying to nap.

“Beats not speaking at all, you want to add something or just complain?” Magne asked, to which Dabi slowly opened her eyes and while she glared at him, she ultimately chose to speak.

“The people are scared brats. They know things aren't as clean as they were told, but they prefer to fondly remember their heroes and icons. And now that we hit those false pillars, they've realized how shaky their peace really is and are throwing a fit about it.” She glanced at the screen as she spoke, spotting more of the interview, which seemed like the media trying to boost their rating with outrage and accusation.

She assumed they'd build up the heroes at this moment, but money was the stronger motivator, influence, and status, too. She knew this well and how it affected people who claimed to be 'good.'

Spinner didn't see it like that. "We would have more true heroes, but too many are unworthy of the title. Who cares if you don't have All Might's power? You are a hero as long as you have his conviction and drive to do good. Too many are in it for money, fame, and status; thus, they can't handle this."

Shigaraki wouldn't say he didn't agree with the sentiment, but at the same time, a world with one All Might was one with too many All Mights.

However, there was a question he had relating to this. "Still, didn't those U.A. teachers do their jobs? If they had seen our attack coming, they would have stopped it. If they had more people, we would have been beaten. They fought for their justice, for peace, and now they're being hackled like a bunch of noobs trying to complete a level boss."

Nobody yelled at doctors when they failed to save a life, engineers when a building they designed unexpectedly collapsed because of outside forces, or police when they didn't catch the criminal. Sure, they got pissed, but they knew it was unfair to blame them.

So why were heroes an exception? Or was it something else?

“But…maybe that’s why, isn’t it? Maybe justice has shifted its meaning, or maybe not. Either way, don’t you think it’s time for the sheep to finally question their society, its norms, and its enforcement methods?" Shigaraki smiled, as if he would see that, and if that meant he could keep on destroying the parts of the world he hated, he wouldn't say no.

Compress seemed to recall something. "Speaking of norms, wouldn't it have been best to try to coax our captive to our cause? A powerful fighter like him would be a boon, while what he represents would only highlight the ideals we fight for."

Kurogiri was the one who answered. “The master wanted him for something, though I don’t know what.”

"Can you give me any time when he'll return the kid, or do we need to worry about disposing of two bodies?" The feathered man asked. He had no clue why they kidnapped that Ragdoll woman, but he could assume whoever was behind this League thing had bad designs for her.

Shigaraki waved it off. "I would give it another day or 2; it's not like we're in a rush here. The pros are still scrambling to answer the masses, never mind hunt for us, and as long as we have Kurogiri, their attempts to catch us would be as useful as a bag of sand in the desert." He would like to focus more on the interview and see how much the media dug into U.A.

Line Break

A half hour ago, during the press conference, the teachers kept on fielding questions and answering them with clear, polite responses, keeping things under control as they dealt with the firestorm from the public, but one reporter wasn't letting them off easy.

“You spoke about keeping the students safe being a top priority, but according to our information, the students were forced to fight for themselves, putting them in grave danger.” He started. “Why was that?”

"As unorthodox as that was, it was the best move then. It would have led to the worst possible situation without a clear understanding of the situation had they refused to defend themselves and relied on us when we were so scattered." Vlad responded, to which the reporter raised a critical eyebrow.

"Worst possible situation? I fail to see how things could get much worse than 20 victims and one kidnapped student, a student at this moment, neither you nor the police have made any announcements on the progress of their rescue." He laid out the facts, daring them to fight it.

"As horrible as it is, things could have been worse. We could have seen students losing their lives." Vlad frowned but didn't break or falter. It was harsh, but they could use it if they played their cards right.

Nezu picked it up from there: "Most of the victims were harmed by the gas, and while they were subject to large doses of it, the doctors have confirmed that all will make full recoveries in time. This poisonous gas was the product of a villain's quirk. Because of the quick actions of 2 of our students, Kendo and Kamakiri, the villain was neutralised before any long-term damage could be dealt with."

As he spoke, he kept his face clear and watched the room, but he and his two employees could see their biggest enemy in the reporters, and they weren't sold.

"Of course, this is only the physical side of things, and we have opened up and encouraged students to make full use of U.A.'s mental health counselling so they can better deal with this, though we have no signs from any student of them needing it."

“So, you found a silver lining to this dark cloud?” the man asked, though they could see his true question.

“We’re relieved that the cloud wasn’t any darker than it could be, and all these didn't lose their futures." Nezu sidestepped it.

However, he could immediately tell there was a shift from the reporter, as if he was reaching for his A-material now. “Can you say the same thing for the abducted, Midoriya Izuku?”

Vlad and Eraser frowned harder at this, while Nezu’s tail flicked unnoticed. He had known this was coming and prepared, but he had hoped it wouldn't all be the same. He just wished he could have done something to prevent it as the reporter started his renewed offensive, one different from the rest, where he just targeted U.A.

Now, he targeted his student.

“He enrolled at your school, managing to place at the top of your general entrance with a grade so high that only 9 others could claim a similar feat. He would prove himself again by winning the Sports Festival. Before he enrolled at all, he was able to handle a powerful sludge villain on his own." The reporter started, laying out some impressive feats for a mere first year.

However, that was merely the dressing, the cloth covering the blade as he went in for the strike. "On the other hand, he has a documented history of mental health issues, which sees him act and react in ways far from normal. Such deviant behaviour is why he vanished for months after defeating the sludge villain. At the same time, he would flee an arrest attempt, injuring others in the process."

He could hear it and wondered if the teachers could see it. How the others whispered, how they questioned things about the abduction. But he had to be thorough with this, while he could leave it to implication.

So he stabbed as deeply as he could. "What if this is why he was targeted over his fellow students? What if these villains recognise his clear issues and turn him into their way of thinking? How can you sit there and tell us someone like that still has a future?"

Listening to the man all but declare their student a mental patient just waiting to turn into a dangerous villain, Eraser felt the urge to string the man up. Still, it kept it in check and off his face.

'He's done his homework and is not afraid to use it. He probably heard that Vlad is extremely protective of his students and is trying to rile him up.' Still, it wasn't himself he worried for, but Vlad, who slowly stood, his height and large frame intimidating in its own right, while his overbite only made his angry face all the scarier, and boy was Vlad pissed. ‘Vlad, I know you must have noticed. Even if you haven’t, don’t fall for his trap.’

Vlad slowly reached for his microphone and picked it up from its stand. With the entire room on him, he moved it to his lips to speak, the reporter lowering his head just enough to hide the smirk on his face before he suppressed it, waiting for his attempts to bear fruit.

"As Midoriya Izuku's teacher, I take offense on his behalf for your insinuations about his character." Vlad silenced him and the rest with his declaration. He didn't glare, he didn't shout, but his words came out as strong as steel and as clear as day. "I will not lie that due to the nature of his quirk, how he sees the world is fundamentally different from how you or I see it; however, I will clarify one thing."

He looked the reporter dead in the eye. "Midoriya Izuku is one of the most driven and caring students I've ever had the pleasure to teach, and his actions have always been from his compassion and desire to help people as any proper hero should. He knows he has a long way to go, and that he isn't like others, and for that reason, he's working as hard as he can to reach his dream of being a hero."

"If these villains think he can be swayed to their side, they're wasting their time.” He finished, to which the reporter frowned, annoyed that his ploy didn't work, but he wasn't without options.

"That doesn't amount to any real evidence. I didn't ask how you feel; I asked if you have a means to dispel my fears and the fears of the public viewing." He observed, keeping pressure on the staff.

"Midoriya has shown no signs of any concerning or, dare I say, villainous behaviour or tendencies since he was enrolled at U.A., and all staff who've worked with him can vouch for his character. As for the investigation into his kidnapping, I have no doubt that the police will find the critical evidence we need to find and rescue him." Nezu answered for Vlad, proud that his employee handled it as well as he did, and furious on his student's behalf.

Part of him entertained the thought that whichever agency this reporter worked for was due for a dragon attack. Still, as amusing as that would be, Ryukyu sadly wasn't one to be taken by such rage.

Line Break

“Such faith in their student. It’s a commendable trait in any teacher.” A shadowy figure mused, seated on his throne as he watched the news, or more accurately listened. A twisted smile formed on his face as he considered Nezu and Vlad's words. “They are correct in that he still has a future, but some futures are worse than the end.”

"How are things going, doctor?" he asked, directing the question to the side where his old friend was working on something. The light from the many screens made it hard to see his features other than the large goggles he wore.

The doctor paused in his tasks, focusing on his friend and master. "I still need to move him to a more sophisticated lab to get the real work done, but the initial trials have gone without a hitch. There are no signs of issues or rejections. I haven't seen something this resilient and capable of adaptation since Gigantomachia.” He chuckled as Midoriya was proving to be something else.

The shadowy figure, the ruler of the underground, was similarly amused. "I would say it has something to do with his quirk and his body's natural adaptations to handle it. It's quite remarkable when you think about it, really. Like the Phoenix, he rises from the flames each time he's struck down by his own power, each time he's slightly stronger than before.”

“I agree, though I do find myself somewhat frustrated by the fact that the boy's existence challenges my quirk singularity theory, " the doctor muttered, longing for his ideas, which he had been smocked and shunned for, to be vindicated.

The figure hummed, as he had known that sting—the anger that came from being denied something you so desired. "Well, I've heard that it's par for the course regarding science. You need to be willing to accept when you're wrong, but it's not as if you've gained nothing, old friend." But he also learned how to always keep an eye out, to find a means to spot opportunity in failure.

"On that, we can happily agree, " the doctor replied, checking some samples before he placed them into a secure, padded case and got up to leave. Well, with things as they are, I'll leave now to thoroughly prepare for our prize's arrival. I wish to ensure he'll be contained.”

“Have a good night, doctor.” The figure ended the chat, listening to the doctor walk towards the door, hearing it closing behind him, before he turned his attention back to the broadcast. He suspected that his nemesis feared what would befall Midoriya, that he perhaps assumed he had stolen the boy's quirk and would make use of it.

But, he had something much more horrible planned for him, and the world that buffoon gave so much to protect, one born off the backs of his defeated comrades and fallen empire.

"Oh, little flame." All for One found irony in the fact that Midoriya would play a pivotal role in it, and the boy had no clue. You have no idea how many doors you've opened for me."

Line Break

Once again, it's hot as hell, but I've come to expect it and make plans for it. These days, that includes keeping my laptop cool, as I really don't want it to have to go for repairs again, as it was having issues throughout last week and even before then.

As for the chapter itself, something came up as I worked on it, which I couldn't fix. Or maybe it was an error from the start, but Kamakiri was on the plans for the Midoriya rescue team. But…well, he wasn't shown in the last chapter, and trying to add him now would make no sense, as he wouldn't have been silent during the hospital confrontation scene.

It does follow some of the same beats as the canon rescue of Bakugo. Still, previous changes made it go differently than I had planned. More than that, it's not as if the villains ever planned to try and convert Izuku; like Ragdoll, he was merely a prize.