Chapter Eleven
Stirring Shadows
'Why does this keep happening to me?' The Avatar dimly thought as he soared through the air. Instead of letting him continue the fight, All Might threw him to safety! He twisted midair, slowing and redirecting his fall in a miniature tornado. He didn't make it to the entrance, but he was about halfway there, floating over the frozen landslide zone. He landed safely, collapsing to the ground.
As he heaved on his back, he ran through the facts in his head. Fact 1: It was really cold here. Fact 2: All Might was here and could beat anybody! Fact 3: They have a villain who is specifically built to fight All Might!
And if that was true…well, they wouldn't come here just to lose! All Might was in danger. And if he were to be beaten…or killed…
He jumped up in a blast of air, leaping through the vast landslide. He couldn't let that happen! But he just wasn't strong enough on his own to defeat Nomu. Not if that battle indicated anything. Even if Shigaraki hadn't escaped his waterbending, he would've let go eventually. And Nomu would've killed him. Game, set, match.
So what could he do?
"Midoriya? Is that you?"
Midoriya was jerked out of his thoughts, looking in every direction. "Who's there!?"
"It's me! Hagakure!" He looked to the ground, seeing two footprints in the snow. Hagakure was here, just invisible!
Wait, totally invisible. No clothes whatsoever.
Oh boy.
"Todoroki's here too, you need to talk him out of it!" she pleaded. Midoriya landed gently, shaking off his blush.
"Talk him out of what?"
"He gonna try and fight the villains with All Might! Like, I get he's powerful and all, but he'll just get hurt!" Hagakure explained. Midoriya's eyes widened.
"Where is he?"
"Over there! This way, follow my voice!" The two ran over to the edge of the zone, where Todoroki was watching the plaza.
"Todoroki!" Midoriya called out. The two-tone boy looked up, waving for him to get down.
"Midoriya…I see you're alright after all." he said sharply. As a matter of fact, Shoto had been watching the whole time Midoriya was fighting, using the four elements to grapple with the villains. "You did good out there."
"Uh…thanks, I guess." Midoriya said dismissively. "Anyway, that Nomu is built to fight All Might! We need to-"
"I know," Todoroki interrupted. "I interrogated one of the small fry earlier. The Nomu, as you call it, is the key to beating All Might. What kind of-...what are you doing?" He asked the invisible girl, who was now pressed against his left side.
"Chill out, it's freaking cold here!" she half-yelled. He blinked, then continued, ignoring the nude girl.
"What kind of quirk does it have to fight All Might?" he asked.
"Two actually," Midoriya answered. "Shock absorption and Regeneration at least. No amount of brute force will do damage, and any damage you do gets healed in seconds."
"I see, how did you damage it?"
"It's vulnerable to heat. I think fire cauterizes the wounds, so they can't heal up." he theorized. "Slicing works too, but he can regen from that. Your ice could hold him off for a bit, but you'll need fire if you're planning on heading down there."
"Who said I was-"
"Don't worry, I'm with you." Midoriya cut off. "We'll head down together." They all looked down to the plaza, where All Might was duking it out with Nomu. All Might was putting 100% into each strike, but the monster hardly budged and returned the punches earnestly.
"Hold it, not you too!" Hagakure cried. "Midoriya, you almost died down there! And now you want to go back?"
"We don't have a choice!" Midoriya countered. "If that thing can kill All Might, we have to help in any way we can. That's what you're thinking too, right Todoroki?"
Shoto blinked. That's exactly what he was thinking. "Yes. We can't let them kill the Symbol of Peace. But…" he looked at his left hand. "I can't use my fire in battle."
"What? Why not?" Midoriya asked.
The glare Todoroki gave the Avatar could've melted the entire landslide zone. "Don't ask."
"Oooook, but…" he looked back down at the fight. It was going downhill fast! "We have to help, so here's the plan…"
xXx
'Damn it…this is taking too long. Shock absorption, eh?' All Might pondered as he fought. Nomu wasn't feeling any of his blows, but such a quirk had to have a limit right? He just had to find it, maybe it was vulnerable at the head! He parried another strike and prepared his plan. He let the beast chase him a bit, getting into position.
'And…now!' He dashed behind Nomu and bear hugged from behind! "CAROLINA…"
"Now, Kurogiri."
"SMAAAAASH!"
BOOOM!
'What?' Toshinori didn't feel an impact from his backwards flip. He had tried to slam the creature's head into the ground to knock it out, but a portal enveloped the both of them, negating the powerful move. Now Nomu had him trapped in the purple smoke!
Nome held fast, even grabbing All Might by his injury! He nearly cried out in pain, but held on.
"Checkmate, All Might." Shigaraki jeered. "Nomu, pull him into position! Kurogiri, you know what to do!"
"Yes," the villain said darkly. "Though I generally detest blood and guts floating around my system, I'll gladly make an exception for the Number One Hero."
Nomu pulled All Might through the portal, with just his hands through to hold the Symbol of Peace. Nomu could afford to lose his hands after all.
All Might would not be so lucky.
"Grrragh! YOU THINK YOU'VE WON, EH?" All Might boomed, the portal tightening around his midsection. "SORRY, BUT THIS JUST ISN'T YOUR DAY!"
"We'll see. Kurogiri, do it!" Shigaraki ordered.
"STOP!"
They all looked at the incoming student! A girl was sprinting at full speed at Shigaraki!
A girl with brown hair.
"Is that…" Shigaraki whispered. All Might's smile turned to a grimace.
'No, young Uraraka! Get back!' His successor was talented, but she would never win, even with One-for-All!
'Wait…why isn't she…'
Uraraka wasn't using One-for-All! She was just sprinting! Why?
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Uraraka screamed desperately. Only Kurogiri seemed confused, given that they had fought just a while ago.
"Wait…something's not righ-"
"DIE!"
BA-BOOOOM!
SHSHSHSHSHINCK!
FWOOOOOOSSSHHH!
"SMAAAAAAASH!"
Before anyone could react, four things happened simultaneously! Bakugo exploded out of nowhere and took Kurogiri down in an instant, pinning him down with explosions to keep him from portaling away. In the same moment, Uraraka flared up with One-for-All, dashing at 30% to punch Shigaraki in the face! Her initial run was a diversion and an attack. All at once!
Meanwhile, Todoroki sent massive blades of ice to decimate Nomu, not only creating new wounds all over, but slicing through his arms and tendons, allowing All Might to escape the trap! But before Nomu could regenerate from the frozen attack, yet after All Might broke free, Midoriya flew high into the sky, sending an air/fire Combustion Wave to roast the abomination. Nomu actually screamed in pain this time, the sudden heat cauterizing every new wound created by Todoroki. Though the attack was weaker than a straight fire blast, the move had enough coverage to sear its entire body.
In short, it was a planned, yet completely unplanned, pincer attack.
"WHAT THE FUCK? DEKU! THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?" Bakugo roared from his grapple with Kurogiri.
"Deku! You're ok!" Uraraka cried, grinning at the flying boy. Midoriya waved as he plummeted down to earth, slamming into the ground. A rolling mound of earth rushed towards Shigaraki to follow up, but the villain dusted the attack before it could hit.
"No! No no nonono NO!" Tomura raged. He completely lost the small amount of composure he had. "NOMU! KILL EVERYONE!"
"RRREEEEEEEEEE!" Nomu wailed, crawling up. Several ligaments were severed and burned by Midoriya and Todoroki, not to mention the damage Midoriya did initially. But the Nomu stood up, although shakily. Like a broken machine.
A broken, desperate machine.
Animalistically, Nomu shot forward, dashing at Bakugo at breakneck speeds. Bakugo was faster than most of his class. But not fast enough to dodge.
"BOOOOOOOM!"
Bakugo blinked. He was 20 feet away from where he was originally!
"Kachaan, that was amazing!" Midoriya yelled.
"Shut up, nerd! That wasn't me!"
"Cough…unbelievable…" All Might grunted. He held the monster fast, gripping its fists and bleeding from the mouth. "YOU COWARDS! USING LETHAL FORCE ON A CHILD!"
"Uhh…seriously?" Shigaraki questioned. "You're criticizing the very thing you get rich and famous for?"
"JUST WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" All Might bellowed.
"It's simple, really." He pointed at Midoriya, who was still poised to fight. "That kid over there, with the four quirks. He used a lethal fireblast to try and kill me." He then pointed at Uraraka. "That fangirl over there could've killed me with that punch. She's very like you, you know. She yelled your catchphrase and everything! Doesn't that make you think?"
Shiagaraki grew more agitated as he rambled. More…tantrumy. "You heroes get praised for violence while we're put down for it! Does that really seem fair? Just? NO! We're all the same! You're just paid for it."
Midoriya paid the villain no attention, instead opting to send jets of water to freeze Shigaraki. Tomura bobbed and weaved through the barrage, growing closer to the Avatar. One touch was all it would take to kill him!
BWOOOSH!
Not that Izuku would let him. He swung wide with an air shield, forcing Shigaraki back again.
All Might spat blood. 'My time's almost up…I need to finish this!'
"ALL OF YOU! LEAVE! NOW!"
"You'd be in two right now if we weren't here, you know." Todoroki pointed out, frost seeping off his arm.
"AND I AM THANKFUL, BUT IT ISN'T SAFE FOR YOU! JUST STAND BACK AND LET THE PRO WORK!" With that, he twisted out of his grapple with Nomu and punched. And then he punched again. And again. And again! Winds more powerful than Izuku's airbending whipped up from the consecutive attacks, blowing everyone else away!
"What's he doing?" Midoriya yelled, hanging onto the concrete with his fingertips. "He's got the wrong quirk for this!"
"DID YOU NOT HEAR BEFORE?" Shigaraki called over the wind. "NOMU HAS SHOCK ABSORPTION!"
"YEAH, WHAT OF IT?" All Might roared back. His punches sped into a blur, striking fast than the eye could see! "YOU'RE TOUGH, BIG FELLA! BUT YOUR QUIRK IS ABSORPTION, NOT NEGATION! WHICH MEANS THERE'S A LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN TAKE, RIGHT?"
Nomu couldn't answer of course, but the bombardment of punches was answer enough. The creature couldn't even move!
"IF I AM TO DEFEAT YOU, I MUST TAKE MY LIMIT…AND SURPASS IT!"
Nomu tried its hardest to fight back, to even twitch of its own volition, but it passed its limit a while ago and could only take the attack head on! All Might wound up a punch!
"YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THESE WORDS BEFORE, BUT LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN!" He slammed his foot down, raising his fist. "PLUS…"
Energy coursed through All Might's entire body, consolidating into a single blow! Contact!
"UUULLLTRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Shockwaves tore through the USJ in one huge wave, shaking the entire superdome to a standstill! Nomu soared up through the roof, burst through, and kept going! Even putting holes in the clouds as he careened away!
Uraraka looked up in awe, disbelief even. That was the level of power she had to achieve? To live up to? She looked back at All Might. It was amazing…and frightening.
Bakugo was similarly impressed. This was the standard. This was the goal! And by god, he was going to surpass him! Deep down, he knew he was lightyears away, but couldn't help feeling fired up!
Todoroki couldn't help himself, despite his impassive attitude. The power this man held…this is what his father was so envious of. What he was…made to surpass.
Down on the ground, Midoriya trembled from the display of power. He didn't just witness it…he felt it! Every molecule of air parted in the man's wake and the earth shook with pressure just from him standing in place! Everyone was impressed, but only Midoriya could sense the true depth of All Might's power.
All Might lumbered back to his students. He was an absolute wreck, his trademark hair a complete mess and his clothes torn from his own strength. Blood covered his hands and shirt as he held on to his grin. And form.
"I really am getting weaker…in my hayday, three good hits would've done the trick." He held his fist to his mouth, covering the blood. "But today…it took 300 mighty blows!"
Steam started to billow from his neck. Time's up.
He turned back to the villains. "Surrender now. I won't say it again."
Uraraka stared at her mentor in fright. 'He's bluffing! He has to be!'
"Come now! Too cowardly to face the music?" he baited. All Might wasn't a terribly religious man, but he prayed to every god he could think of. 'Take the bait. Just take the bait! Run already! Or surrender! Something!'
Shigaraki was scratching his neck again, almost obsessively. "Master…you were wrong! He's not weaker at all! He destroyed Nomu! We don't have a chance now!"
"Tomura," Kurogiri said calmly. "The pros will be here soon, but we can still succeed."
"No…there's no way…"
"Look at him, he's surely been weakened. One final push, and All Might will perish!"
Shigaraki took a closer look at his foe. Though All Might was as strong as ever, his breathing was labored. All Might did his best to stand strong, to convince the villains that he could still go on. But all it took was a slight step backward with his foot. That gave him away.
"You're right," he decided. "This is it! One touch…that's all it will take to finish him off!"
Though everyone else was convinced of All Might's bravado, Uraraka knew better. The steam wasn't from exertion, it was All Might's transformation! His time was up! If the villains attack right now…
"Looks like we're fighting anyway," Todoroki said, freezing his hand in preparation. Bakugo crouched down, ready to blast off again. Midoriya summoned a stream of water, wrapping his arms in the fluid to fight.
Uraraka stared at her mentor, then to Shigaraki, who had already started to lunge. But All Might didn't move. He couldn't! It was taking everything he could just to stand!
The three boys blinked, and Uraraka was gone, only a bit of dust in her wake. She appeared in front of All Might, both legs broken! She raised her fist to meet Shigaraki!
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
"They're here!" All Might choked out. Bullets whizzed past and struck Shigaraki in the hand! And both legs! From the entrance, Iida had returned, with tears in his eyes.
"I HAVE RETURNED WITH BACK UP!" he roared in victory. Snipe fired with one hand, using his quirk to aim each bullet perfectly to its target. Present Mic also stepped up and took a deep breath.
"YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
His super-sonic voice reverberated through the facility, taking out the recovering villains. Concrete reformed in seconds to imprison the invaders, thanks to Cementoss.
"Protect the students!" Principal Nezu called out. The principal was none other than a small mammal, dressed in a smart vest and suit. "Go to All Might's aid, quickly!"
"Roger," Cementoss replied, riding a bridge of concrete to the plaza.
"Arrest every trespasser, leave no one behind!" he ordered. Present Mic and Midnight were on the scene in a flash, finding students and incapacitating villains. Mic also stopped to check on Eraserhead, who was propped up near the downpour zone. Kirishima and Ojiro had stopped the man's bleeding and kept him stable, much to the pro's relief.
Down at the plaza, Shigaraki had collapsed to the ground as Kurogiri shrouded them both in his quirk, teleporting them away as bullets pierced the veil. Within seconds, they were both gone, not even a trace.
"No…" Uraraka groaned. She couldn't get up, but propped herself on her arms. "They got away…we failed…"
"No, young lady."
She looked through the smoke. All Might, half deflated, had the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen.
"You saved me. In that moment, if you had not acted, I would've been gone. Thank you for saving my life." He stumbled a bit, but stayed standing for now. None of the others could see through the smoke, but they both could see someone coming!
"All Might! Uraraka! Are you ok?" It was Midoriya!
"SHIT!" Toshinori cursed. He couldn't stay buffed for any longer! Midoriya rushed forward…
…and hugged Uraraka. Completely ignoring All Might behind him. Despite the immense pain she was in, she blushed furiously at the sudden affection.
Apparently Midoriya was just as surprised.
"AAH! DEKU?"
"AAH! SORRY! ARE YOU-I mean, are you ok? Your legs are broken! Let me get some water…" While Midoriya drew his water, a concrete wall separated them from All Might, who had fully deflated now. Toshinori plopped down to the ground, fully exhausted.
"Hah…thanks for the save…Cementoss." The stony hero waved the praise away.
"Anytime," he replied. "I'm actually a huge fan, you know."
On the other side, Midoriya got to work, using the water to heal Uraraka's legs. After resetting them, which made her yelp in pain, he worked the water in, which began to glow blue as it healed. Her pain wasn't gone, but it was starting to ebb away.
"How…how are you doing that?" She asked. Midoriya realized this had never been done in front of class.
"I…well…I'm not actually sure? It just does…heh…" he explained poorly. Uraraka raised an eyebrow, but wasn't about to decline the healing. The water was cool, melting the pain away bit by bit.
"It'll take a while for your legs to actually heal," Midoriya said as he worked. "But I can at least help them get started. Recovery Girl should be able to handle the rest."
"I-thanks.." Ochaco winced. He had started to work on her other leg. The bruising wasn't as bad now, but they were still shattered.
"More importantly, how did they break?" Midoriya asked. "You were over there, then over here…did your quirk backfire or something?"
"Something like th-ouch…that," she answered. "Sometimes…I use too much energy for my body…and I break something. Put enough juice in there, somethings gotta-OUCH! Gotta give…"
"Gotcha…kinda amazing if you think about it." He muttered, moving the glowing water up and down. Izuku ignored the…intimacy of the move and just focused on healing. Besides, he'd likely have to do this for other people, so it didn't matter.
Still, alas, he was 15. He held down the blush.
"Wait a minute, does All Might need healing?" Midoriya snapped his head back. "He looked kinda beat up, maybe I should-"
"NO! I mean, no, um," Uraraka stammered. "I'm sure he's ok. He's the Number One, after all! And my legs still hurt so…"
"Oh…ok then." Midoriya gulped and kept the healing up. 'Odd,' he thought. 'This should be eliminating the pain. I guess she's just hurt that bad.'
Uraraka quietly sighed of relief. Can't have Deku finding out All Might's secret, after all. Not to mention…she looked down at her legs.
Her exposed legs.
She looked away, completely flustered.
Meanwhile, Bakugo and Todoroki stood back, resting from the fight. Bakugo sneered in disgust while Todoroki looked on.
…
…
"They seem rather close."
"Ugh…shut up Icyhot bastard."
xXx
Elsewhere…
A portal swirled into existence in a darkly lit bar, dropping a bleeding Shigaraki unceremoniously on the floor. On a stand in the corner, a tv displayed "NO IMAGE AVAILABLE" in black and white. A voice came from the tv.
"Well?"
"You were wrong, master…" Shigaraki snarled. "Wrong, wrong wrong! All Might isn't weaker at all! We lost everyone we had recruited! All because of those stupid UA students!"
"Calm down, Tomura." The voice said disarmingly. "We simply got ahead of ourselves. And All Might is getting weaker, but doesn't seem to be out for the count yet. What of Nomu?"
"Defeated," Kurogiri reported from behind the bar. "All Might sent it outside my range for teleportation. Without its coordinates, I could not recover it."
"A pity. And we took so much time to perfect that one too."
Tomura propped himself against the bar, nursing his bullet wounds. "The brats…one of them has multiple quirks! And he went toe to toe with Nomu!"
"Oh?" The voice seemed intrigued. "Tell me about this child."
"Green hair…could use four different abilities. Fire, earth, water and air. We would've beaten him if All Might hadn't shown up…"
"Impossible!" Another voice rang out, more shrill than the other. "No human is capable of possessing more than 2 quirks without going braindead!"
"This is…a fascinating development." The other voice said. The excitement was palpable. "A quirk that allows use of four different attributes, or multiple quirks entirely? I simply must see it in action! What was the child's name?"
Shigaraki leered at the tv. "Does it really matter? Next time I see him, he'll be a pile of dirt."
"It does matter,"the master insisted. "You must know your enemies if you are to beat them."
"Fine," he relented."His name is Midoriya. And he called himself something…weird. He said he was the 'Avatar'. Whatever that means."
"Anyone else catch your eye?"
"Yeah…master, you won't believe who I saw out there…"Tomura felt the spot where Uraraka had punched him. "The one you spoke about…"
xXx
Paramedics were on the scene in a flash, taking account of all students and faculty involved in the incident. Of all the students, only 2 of the 19 were actually injured in any way, save for quirk exhaustion and general uneasiness. Thirteen and Eraserhead were both admitted for urgent care, though Thirteen's injuries were minimal considering the circumstances. Aizawa was in a bad way, but was expected to recover in time.
"16…17…18…" Tsukauchi counted each U.A. student, who gathered accordingly. "Besides the one with the messed up legs, and the concussion, looks like everyone is unharmed."
"Ojiro, you were with Midoriya and Kirishima, right?" Hagakure asked the tailed boy. "It was really into the fire, huh?"
"Yeah, those two are crazy strong. I just used hit and run tactics, really." Ojiro replied. "Where were you, Hagakure?"
"The Landslide Zone, with Todoroki!" she pointed with her gloved hand. "You should've seen him, he was amazing!"
'Woah…I didn't even notice her until Midoriya showed up.' Shoto thought, eavesdropping. 'I could've frozen her. Yikes.'
"As for my location…" Aoyama said with a twirl. "Can anyone guess?"
But alas, he was ignored. Most everyone was still discussing their sides of the attack. He was frozen in place, still awaiting an answer.
Asui decided to ask. "Where were yo-"
"It's a secret!" He said in mock mystery.
97 villains involved in the attack were summarily arrested and turned over to the authorities, with only 2 having escaped. Descriptions were taken to identify the criminals for future reference, revealing two names.
Tomura Shigaraki. Kurogiri. Both members of the League of Villains. Kinda cheesy, really, if it weren't for what they managed to accomplish. Breaking into the most influential hero academy in Japan for intel, then breaking in again to attack the Number One Hero, and almost succeeding? Shigaraki just made it to Japan's Most Wanted in two days flat.
So, he needed as much info as he could glean from the victims. Fortunately, a familiar face seemed to have a photographic memory.
"Anything else you can remember, Mr. Midoriya?" he asked tiredly.
"Hmm…oh!" Izuku remembered. "When All Might saved me, I saw Shigaraki's face. He's super chapped and has red eyes. A scar on the left side of his mouth. Oh, and also…"
Midoriya gave the best description Tsukauchi had ever heard from a witness. Light blue hair, gray hands all over his body, raspy voice, red eyes, chapped lips, Decay quirk, slender and malnourished, the kid left nothing to the imagination. The sketch artist had a hayday and drew a perfect render of their suspect.
The other perp was no different. Purple mist covering the head and hands, a vest and suit, yellow eyes and a metal brace around the neck. Two perfect descriptions. This kid was made for field work!
"Just to be clear, you fought this…Nomu by yourself?" he asked. Midoriya nodded, still shaken by the event. Recovery Girl had healed his injuries in no time, hardly even tiring him out. Tsukauchi continued. "And what was your quirk? Just to confirm…"
"It's Elemental," Midoriya answered.
Lie.
"I can control the basic four elements."
Truth.
"I see," Tsukauchi said, frowning. His own quirk, Lie Detector, was never wrong. What gives? "How were you able to fight Nomu? Anything we can use to determine its strengths and weaknesses."
"I used fire to slow its regeneration," he answered. Truth."Then I trapped it underwater, but I couldn't keep it down for very long. Then All Might showed up and…I guess you know the rest."
"Alright then…you're free to go Mr. Midoriya. Thank you." He shook the boy's hand and left, puzzled.
This was the same kid who All Might asked to be investigated, anything he could find. It was without question that his quirk was what he said it was. He had more than enough hard evidence that Midoriya's quirk is exactly what he says it is.
So what did Midoriya lie about?
The detective understood why All Might wanted him to investigate, of course. The kid sure seemed like he had multiple quirks, not to mention at the age of 12.
If his quirk isn't Elemental…maybe it's not his quirk to begin with?
"Sir," one of his Lieutenants approached. "We've located the villain called Nomu a few clicks away."
"What's his status?"
"Non-resistant, non-verbal, and completely unharmed."
"Interesting, lock him down and keep me posted. Sansa! Take over for me."
"Yes sir!" The cat-like officers saluted, cueing Tsukauchi to take his leave. He had full cooperation from Nezu and the rest of the staff, so he wasn't too worried about the investigation on that front.
He had other concerns.
Tsukauchi reviewed the boy's testimony as he strode to the nurse's office and opened the door.
Inside, a highly battered Toshinori laid on his hospital bed. He was covered in bandages, but seemed otherwise alright. He's definitely been worse for wear. Uraraka was seated next to him, seemingly frustrated over something. All Might brightened up immediately as he entered.
"Oh hey!" he greeted. "I didn't know you were investigating!"
"Wait…does he..?" Uraraka said cautiously. All Might waved her down.
"Relax kid, Tsukauchi and I go way back. He knows about One-for-All, too. What brings you?" he asked. Tsukauchi took off his hat with a smile.
"Just got my last testimony from a student. I was hoping to check in with you, get your thoughts." Tsukauchi answered, taking a seat next to the bed. "I assume this is…"
"Yes, my successor." All Might confirmed. "She can be trusted, whatever you got to say."
"Right then…" Tsukauchi flipped through his notes. "Take me step by step through the event. Including you, Ms. Uraraka. No detail is too small."
And so they told Tsukauchi everything. How the attack started, Iida's escape to find All Might. All Might's arrival. The fight. Uraraka jumping in with the other students. Shigaraki.
"I had no choice but to go overboard," Toshinori finished. "They were just that strong."
"And they escaped by portal as soon as the pros arrived. Checks out…" The detective tapped his chin. "From speaking with the Principal, I do have one theory. It may go nowhere…" he looked at Uraraka, then All Might. "Are you sure you want her to hear this?"
"Hear what?" Uraraka asked. "What is it?"
All Might seemed confused as well. "Spit it out, old friend. Whatever you can say to me, you can say to her."
Tsukauchi took a breath. "It seems…to me at least, that these villains weren't working alone. They had inside help."
Uraraka froze. He couldn't mean…Deku?
"We're not sure who it could be yet, or even if there is one," Tsukauchi clarified. "But the break in the other day would be how they got the info as to where you would be, All Might. And they would've had to know where to go too."
"What about blueprints?" Uraraka asked. "Couldn't they have just gotten-"
"Not possible," Toshinori shot the idea down. "All blueprints of UA are secured. It would've been more work to get those then a class schedule."
"Exactly," Tsukauchi confirmed. "It's far too early to suspect anyone, so don't jump the gun. It could've been anyone in the entire school, or even a faculty member. It could even be you, young lady."
"What?" she exclaimed. "I would never do that!"
"I know that," Tsukauchi chuckled. Truth. "For all we know, it was nobody at all. My point is that you need to be careful, both of you. I've already alerted Principal Nezu of my findings. I'm sure he'll make the best decision possible. Don't let this leave the room either," he added. "If there is a mole, we can't let them know we're on to them."
"Ok…I won't tell anyone," Uraraka promised. She checked her watch. "Shoot, I gotta check on everyone. Get better, All Might!"
"Thank you, young lady," All Might gave her a firm thumbs-up. "Stay safe!"
As soon as the door clicked shut after her, Tsukauchi started to gather his things. But Toshinori stopped him, putting a hand on his briefcase.
"Tsukauchi," he said grimly. "You're not the only one who can read lies, you know."
The detective sighed, sitting back down. "I suppose not." He leaned forward, hands collapsed together. "I do have a suspect. The one you sent me to investigate."
"He's clean." All Might cut him off. "Midoriya's no spy. Wears his heart on his sleeve, that one."
"Yagi…the kid lied." Tsukauchi told the hero. "About his quirk."
Toshinori's heart skipped a beat. "...what did he say? Exactly?"
"That his quirk was Elemental." he replied. "But he didn't lie about his abilities."
"Which means…" All Might pieced together. "He does have a quirk…but…"
"It's not his." Tsukauchi finished. "And with that multi-quirked Nomu, it only confirms my fears."
All Might, unconsciously, touched his old stomach wound, his breath still. It can't be. It couldn't be.
Wait…it really couldn't be!
"Tsukauchi," All Might said quietly. "The man I killed…he's gone. And even if he is alive, it's not possible for a man, let alone a boy, to hold more than two quirks. Anytime he tried, his subject would go braindead."
"Braindead…like Nomu?" Tsukauchi prodded. All Might's eyes were a million miles away, considering the facts. "Yagi…things change. The kid was honest about everything else…but his quirk is the only thing that doesn't line up. Whatever he is…he's hiding something."
"..."
"..."
xXx
After consoling his mother, who had flooded the apartment when she heard about the attack, Izuku went immediately to his room and locked the door. He grabbed his meditation beads and focused hard. Normally, this took the Avatar at least an hour of meditation to achieve, but his emotions were hot and Korra was waiting for him.
After about 40 minutes, he heard his predecessor's voice in his head. All he needed for quick contact.
Izuku. Your heart is troubled.
"Oh course, it's troubled." he said aloud, quietly. "We were attacked today…I almost died!"
Yes. I saw the whole thing.
"What...what even…" Midoriya stammered. "We were in danger! And Nomu…what is he?"
Korra's voice was soothing, but firm. Breathe, Izuku. You're alive, that's what matters.
"But…Nomu had me! He nearly…"
I know. That…creature nearly used its might to crush your skull.
Midoriya winced at the description.
You very nearly entered the Avatar State on your own, twice in fact. However, you overcame that obstacle and emerged victorious. And I couldn't be prouder. If I truly felt that you could not handle the challenges you faced, I would've intervened. But you would not have liked the result.
"What do you mean? And what is the Avatar State anyway?" he asked. It was the only thing in the Avatar Book he didn't quite understand.
The Avatar State…is complicated. And the details shouldn't be written down anywhere, which is why I didn't write much about it.
"So what is it?"
Complicated. Put simply, all my knowledge and experience would be used to save your life. But the Avatar State doesn't work so…simply. In truth, the only being who has true control of the Avatar State…is you.
Midoriya pondered her words, then remembered what she said before. "So…you've saved me before?"
Yes, in your emotional infancy, I was able to guide you to where you needed to go. But since that time, you have grown. And matured. I cannot, and will not, control you. You must be the one to master the Avatar State, if you plan to use it at all.
"Me? But…I have no idea how to enter the state! Or what it really is!"
Many Avatars in the past have mastered the Avatar State in order to better perform their duties in the name of peace and balance. But it takes time to learn to bring out its full power. But if you enter the Avatar State without control, whether it be in danger or duress, you will not simply stop when the danger has passed.
Her voice grew sharp, hammering in the weight of her words.
The land around you will be ravaged. Any perceived threats will be vanquished. You will fly into a blind rage, destroying anything, or anyone, in your path. That is the truth of the Avatar's power. If you do not master this ability, you will grow to regret it.
"So…as things are right now…I'm a ticking time bomb? If I go into the state right now…"
Untold destruction.
Midoriya's eyes fluttered open, breaking the connection. Korra faded away, with parting words.
Master your heart…your mind, body…and your soul…we'll speak more when you are ready. Farewell…
Midoriya laid down on the bed, mulling her words over. The sooner he could master the Avatar State, the better. But where to begin? But…
He got up and walked to the bathroom, looking into the mirror. Green eyes looked back at him.
If he goes into the Avatar State, and something goes wrong, he could accidentally kill someone. He needed to master it…but he didn't know how to do it safely. Until he figured it out, he had to keep it under lock and key.
He may be able to bend all the elements, but he still had more to learn.
xXx
Elsewhere…
In the dead of night, under a full moon, a cloaked figure jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Her black clothing disguised her well enough, along with the hood and full face mask. Anyone who might have spotted her might have thought she was a hero, just doing her patrol.
But she was anything but. Small silver weapons were equipped to her belt, all made to kill or maim. She also carried a large crescent moon scythe, lifting it almost effortlessly despite its cumbersome size. Red eyes gleamed underneath the veil, illuminating her blank features.
The figure landed on her last roof, having found her target. A rotund businessman surrounded by bodyguards leaving a gentlemen's club. Sashimi Kriech. He was obviously drunk, his entourage carefully guiding him to his car.
He had something she wanted. Or rather, what her master wanted.
The guards finagled their boss into the limo and got in themselves. She perched over the street as they started the car, waiting.
The car pulled out. Now or never. She dropped into the street, her gleaming scythe raised.
SHIIIINK!
The weapon cleaved straight through the center of the vehicle, stopping at the center! The precise strike killed the engine abruptly. All six bodyguards piled out of the limo and raised their 9mms.
"GET DOWN, BITCH!"
"ON YOUR FACE!"
The hooded villain cocked her head to the side and raised her scythe…
BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM
All six of them fired at once, clearing their mags into the attacker. But not one round hit! She twirled the handle at breakneck speeds, blocking every shot with the side of her blade. The moment they ran out of ammo, she swung towards both sides of the car.
SHINK SHINK!
And left them in pieces. Blood pooled under the car and into the rain gutter. The man within the car whimpered and pressed a button, automatically shutting every door to protect himself.
It didn't work.
CCCRRRRREEEEEEEEEAAAAAK!
With superhuman strength, she pried the car apart thanks to her initial slash, revealing her prey. A venomous, smooth voice called sweetly.
"C'mere, you! I've been dying to see you!"
"G-g-g-get away!" He stammered, pulling out a .22 pistol. "I-I-I'm warning you!"
Shink!
"Eeep!" A half-moon shaped blade flew faster than the eye could see, slicing the firearm in two. He was helpless.
"Tisk, tisk, Mr. Kriech. You're lucky he wants you alive" she said matronly. "Time to go. Chop chop."
"But…who are you?"
"Oh, silly me," she sprang into the car and flew at the man, who backed as far into his seat as he could. She was right in his face, eye to eye. Now that she was close, he could see and feel her small, curvy body. The tight bodysuit under her cloak left little to the imagination as she pressed up against him. Her red orbs were laced with malice. He would've been turned on, if it weren't so terrifying.
"I am the Eclipse," she whispered. "And you have something I want, Mr. Kriech. Don't struggle…too much."
"Where…where are w-we going?"
Eclipse laughed, taking a small mirror out of her pocket. She signaled to an unknown location, gripping the man's collar.
About 2 minutes later, purple smoke poured out of nowhere, forming a portal. She walked through, carrying the 300 pound man with one hand, easy.
"Wait, what are you-AAH!" She threw him to the ground, on the other side of the portal. She walked through herself, the portal closing just as the police arrived at the scene. But as soon as they were there…they were gone.