How many days had it been now?
Two? Three? Not counting the ones that he wasn't awake for, anyway. He truly had no idea either way though. Izuku's main focus had just been on forcing himself to stay awake, a challenge that was becoming increasingly more and more difficult to actually do. Everything was piling up, and had been piling up for however long it had been since he'd woken up. The numbness was only going to do so much. Keeping his eyes open was now like trying to keep a pair of dumbbells in the air for an extended period of time. He could hardly even feel any of his muscles anymore. His sense of touch felt like it had just escaped his body.
It was factually incredible that he'd managed not to pass out yet. Anyone else would have been out cold for days, if they were a normal Human. Even those who had Stamina Enhancement and Self - Healing Quirks would simply just be unable to keep this up, and yet he was managing, even if his eyes were only half open now. Through sheer willpower and stubbornness, he'd kept his eyes open and done the closest that he could to staying alert as possible. No matter how much he wanted to just give it up, he simply refused to rest, to close his eyes, to fall asleep, to let his guard down around the Villains.
He needed to be awake. To try to think of a way out of this. To rack his brain until it broke. To take any opportunities that were presented to him to help himself and Bakugou escape from their captors clutches, with or without their powers. He couldn't afford the luxury of sleep. Time just wasn't something that was on his side. Every second that passed by was a second close to the Villains final decision, and who knew what on earth that was going to end up being.
Besides, even if he did go to sleep, he had no doubt that he'd end up barely rested once he woke up. He'd almost certainly have a horrible nightmare pertaining to his situation.
Right now, reality was more than enough for him.
"Seriously Deku, how the fuck're you even still conscious?" Looking up from the ground, Izuku turned his gaze towards Bakugou. After being in the dark for so long, Izuku's eyesight had adapted, and he was able to see his childhood friend much more clearly than he had been able to before. He looked angry, but that was nothing new. All things considered, he was surprisingly calm. Maybe more so than Izuku himself. "You shoulda passed out hours ago. Shit, anyone would have passed out hours ago."
"I…" It certainly wasn't difficult to understand Bakugou's bewilderment. Untreated injuries galore, who knew how long without sleep, and no doubt stressed and terrified about their situation… It surprised Izuku himself that he was even still able to form a coherent thought in his head…
In regards to Bakugou's observations though, he did have an answer.
Or more accurately, a theory.
"I…. I think It's part of my Quirk..." He answered, without certainty. In truth he had no idea, but this was the best answer he had, and he didn't see the harm in sharing his theory with Bakugou. "I… I'm not sure, but I think my Quirk has some… Some kind of trauma or impact dampening function." Truthfully, he'd had the suspicion for a while now, but had never been so utterly broken to ever confirm it, and hadn't ever been in a rush to test it out. But the sheer number of times he'd battered himself into a thousand tiny bits, and how he'd just kept on going… "I…. I think that my Quirk… Helps me to handle damage that I receive. Or at least manage it a bit more than I should be able to normally. I – I'm not too sure. But I shouldn't be conscious after the Forest… And I shouldn't have ever woken up, or managed to stay conscious. Not with injuries like this. Not when they haven't been treated at all… I'm… But that's just a guess… I'm not sure."
"The fuck do you mean you're not sure? It's your fucking Quirk, how do you not know how it works?"
For a moment, Izuku actually wanted to laugh. At Bakugou's lack of knowledge that his Quirk wasn't even his. That he thought Izuku would somehow know the full extent of this borrowed power. It wasn't really anything even remotely funny, but it was pretty much the only thing that had even slightly brought a genuine smile to the green haired boy's face in the last who knew how long.
He suppressed his laughs though. All that would do was anger Bakugou, and he didn't want to do that. Instead, he calmly stated, "I've never broken myself so badly before, Kacchan… Never pushed myself this hard… I… I guess I'm… Getting better at utilizing my Quirk…"
"…Why did you bother?"
"Huh?"
"I said, why did you bother? Coming after me?" Bakugou repeated his question with a lot less venom than Izuku was used to. No cursing, no yelling… nothing like that. "In fact… How did you even come after me? I've seen your Quirk – You weren't even close to being that fast when we took on All Might. There's no way that you would have caught up to us before the Warp Gate shut if you were still that slow. So how did you do it?"
That hadn't been the first time he'd done it either, Izuku knew.
He knew exactly what Bakugou was talking about, and he'd noticed that increase in his speed as well. When he'd dropped Kota off at the lodge back in the forest, when Aizawa had stopped Mina from following him… He'd been quicker then. Much faster than he was used to being. Almost twice as fast, though he wasn't doing anything different to his normal Full Cowl technique. Not even slightly different in any way whatsoever. He'd just ran, as fast as he thought he could, and that burst of speed had just come to him. In the moments themselves, he'd simply chalked it down to an adrenaline rush, or desperation…
Looking back though, that simply couldn't be the case. He couldn't have gotten that much speed from a simple adrenaline rush. Next to One For All, what would that even do for him? Would the two even interact in any way? Maybe a little, but he couldn't see it doing too much for his body. It just wouldn't be able to keep up with the sheer power that this foreign Quirk gave his unadapted body. Of course, there was every chance that he was wrong, but he couldn't think that his body's fight-or-flight response was in any way responsible for that.
Why he came back for Bakugou was irrelevant. He didn't want to know why his bullying target had gone so far to save him. Such knowledge would only damage his pride. The only reason he had asked was because he had needed a few seconds longer to find the better words for the job. So the first question could be safely disregarded, at least to the spiky haired boys knowledge.
To the curly haired boy though, he felt the answer to both questions were one in the same. He couldn't prove, or even claim to have a single piece of proof that his theory held up – That was what this was in its current form. A Theory. An idea. A mere guess… But it was the best one that he had right now.
"… I think it was Mina."
Bakugou simply glared at the green haired boy across the room with an expression of complete and total bewilderment, though he didn't say anything whatsoever. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, giving him funny looks, but in no way attempting to vocally oppose or protest, or demean and insult him. He just sat there, He let Izuku speak.
So he did.
"I… After I defeated the Villain that went after Kota," He'd explained his encounter with Muscular to Bakugou before, though he had reacted to it indifferently, at least externally. "... I ran to take him back to the lodge…. And Mina was there. She… She wanted to try and help me fight my way towards you… But I…. I didn't want her getting hurt. It was too dangerous…. I know that she's capable of looking after herself… But I just…" He paused, looking to the cold ground again as he spoke. Like he was hanging his head in shame. "…I … I was scared of her getting hurt because of me. I wasn't… Still aren't, in any position to protect people. So every instinct I had was screaming at me to just get away from her… Put as much distance between me and her as possible. Keep the Villains away from her if I could help it."
He couldn't help but scoff. That plan had proven to be a bust back then.
"When we all met up… And you and Fumikage were captured by that Compression Villain… All I could think about was rescuing the two of you. Trying to get you away from the League… To do something… When Mina showed up… I…. I felt this burning feeling." That was really the only way he could describe what he felt in that moment. A burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. "I wanted to protect her… Make sure she was safe… I..." He paused briefly, thinking back on everything that had happened. "… Maybe I… No, I don't have the right to tell her what she can and can't do. I – I know I don't… I couldn't tell her to just go back. But… I wanted to. Even if it meant that she'd be angry with me…. I wanted to make sure that she was safe, above everything else." Thinking back again, he had to chuckle slightly. "Maybe that's why she slapped me like she did… To get that message into my head…"
With everything that had happened over the last few days, he hadn't even stopped to think about how Mina had hit him. At the time, he hadn't really had the luxury of asking her what it was for, or even consider her words or her actions, before being thrown into the deep end again. It was forgotten immediately, as the pursuit of Mr. Compress started up again.
Being imprisoned, other things had been at the forefront of Izuku's mind… He just hadn't thought about that small interaction between the two of them.
What did it mean?...
Pushing those thoughts to the corner of his head for the time being, he continued with his explanation. "I wanted to save you, and keep Mina out of harm's way… I… I don't know. I was… I was desperate. A…. A Hero can't just leave those in trouble to fend for themselves… Even if they want to be left alone… And I…. I thought I could save you."
A sigh escaped his lips.
"Mina…. Made me feel like I could save you."
It was more accurate to say that when he was with Mina, Izuku felt like he could do anything. The desire to shatter every limitation that he had, the dream to conquer any obstacle in his way. When he was alone…. There was only so much he could do. Only so much that he felt he could do without being prepared to sacrifice everything that he had to give. He had felt like that when he'd fought Muscular. That feeling of overwhelming dread and fear that not even his life would be enough of a sacrifice to make to save someone. That feeling of being absolutely worthless.
That feeling of being poor, defenceless Izuku.
Of being Deku, who can't accomplish anything.
Yet…. Mina erased that doubt in him. She'd been erasing that doubt ever since they'd met. Talking to him, showing him the various things he was good at, getting him to be far more confident just being himself. Being there for him. Not letting him feel sorry for himself when he could be spending the time to better himself.
Team Awkward Energy. They would be the unstoppable badasses that would always stop the bad guys. No one would be able to stop them. They'd always stop the Villains and rescue the civilians who needed help. They'd be the best Hero Team ever.
Mina talked about that a lot, when the two of them were alone and talking about schoolwork or Heroism, and their futures. She had such enthusiasm for the idea of being a Hero Team together, Izuku had honestly began to share in her infectious enthral. Whenever he had some doubts about himself, about their team, Mina would always be there, to remind him, and to reinvigorate his passion and optimism. Even when the popularity of Teams in the Hero industry had plummeted to the point of near obscurity, Mina held onto their dream tightly, and refused to give it up. Not without trying everything that they could to make it a reality. Because Mina believed in their team.
She believed in them…
"Mina… She… I don't think I could have tried to save you… If she wasn't there with me." He sighed. "I felt… Like my Quirk had more power than it normally has…. Maybe… I'm getting used to it… Maybe…. Mina gives me the confidence to push myself harder…" He gulped. "Maybe… Maybe she's why… I've gotten so strong…"
Everything he'd achieved through his own efforts… The reason he'd been able to put so much effort into everything… It was because Mina had been supporting him. Ever since the Sports Festival, she'd been helping him go even further beyond his own limitations. Pushing him past the person he used to be, and into who he was now.
And yet… He hadn't even repaid her in the smallest of ways.
He hadn't told her he loved her…. Because he was selfish. Because he didn't want to lose her.
Because… He knew what it was like to have nothing… And he feared losing what he had now.
"What the actual fuck are you talking about?" Bakugou bluntly questioned, seeming to dismiss more or less everything that Izuku had just said. Not that the One For All Inheritor could blame him. He probably wasn't making any kind of sense, was he? Maybe he was right…
"Yeah… I don't know…" Izuku faked a weak smile. It had just been a guess… But it was honestly the best he could come up with. Maybe there was some truth to it. And maybe there wasn't. He just had no idea.
Maybe he just missed her, and that was all that this was…
That was one thing he was certain of. He missed her. He wanted to see her again…
To say everything to her that he should have just said from the start.
Just as those thoughts entered his head, Izuku felt the stinging shine of bright lights hit his eyes, the door to their room of confinement opening suddenly and without warning. Izuku could only think to look away and close his eyes tightly while he heard Bakugou curse and yell some profanities at the ones who entered the room, presumably also with his eyes firmly sealed shut. There was no chance he actually saw whoever actually entered the room. Even a dim light bulb would overwhelm both the young boy's optical abilities and render them temporarily blind, so operation lights working at full capacity left like enough to burn his eyes out. Reflexively, both the boys hissed at the sudden break in the darkness, like a pair of vampires.
Just like that though, as quickly as it appeared and burned Izuku's retinas, he could sense it disappear, only to be confirmed when he heard the metallic clang of a metallic door hitting a frame of the same material. Light stopped hitting his eyelids, and he could tell darkness had filled the room again.
Several seconds passed in total silence, neither Izuku or Bakugou able to open their eyes while they recovered.
"You are… An interesting development."
A deep, calm and collected voice accompanied a series of slow, deliberate footsteps that echoed throughout the room, slowly getting louder and louder as they approached the two boys. They were accompanied by another set of footsteps, though these steps were significantly quieter, and far more haphazard, no particular thought going into them. Even though Izuku hadn't even laid eyes on whoever it was that had just entered the room, he could already feel the air shift, and his senses screaming at him.
Telling him that both he and Bakugou were in incredible danger.
That sense, that dreadful feeling of fear and helplessness forced Izuku to open his eyes, even if they were still blurry and wouldn't give him the clearest a picture that he would normally get. He was however, able to make out the lines of a big, bulky black mask that covered the face of someone who was also big and stocky to match. The mask covered up any and all facial features, and allowed several tubes and pipes to stick out of the wearer's head, their purpose unknown. It seemed to be part of a two-piece design, based on the hooks that were attached to the mask. This left the mouth exposed, and Izuku able to see the very slight curl at the corner of the man's lips. A suit, which somehow gave an air of sophistication to this clearly viciously dangerous man, was all he wore aside from the face mask. A plain suit, with no noticeable features or adaptations, or adjustments to accommodate for mutations or Quirk utility. It was as plain as plain could be.
But Izuku could tell that this man could kill him as soon as look at him. He couldn't help but shudder. His body froze up, this time, nothing to do with the cold.
No Quirk was in effect. No trickery. No illusion.
This was just pure fear that was keeping him from moving.
Pure, simple fear. The same crippling reflex that just froze up an animal's body when faced with its natural predator shot straight through Izuku.
Standing beside this man was none other than Shigaraki, whom seemed to be glaring and grinning from ear to ear at the green haired boy, observing him through the gaps between the fingers of the hand that he kept permanently gripped to his face like some kind of mask. The insane Villain was stood there, his right-hand scratching at his neck slowly and repeatedly, as he simply awaited the new arrival to say, well, anything to the two prisoners he held.
Somehow, Izuku just knew.
"…. Capturing you was not a part of Tomura's plan. Your being here is unexpected." He was directing his speech towards Izuku, looking down on him, despite not having any visible eyes, unless they were hidden behind that face-concealing mask. How he saw with that thing on his head, Izuku had no idea. But somehow, he could tell that sight wasn't even a necessity for this monster. He radiated power.
Nothing could touch this man.
"Haaaah… This little brat's been nothing but a total pain in the neck, Sensei." Shigaraki spoke with what could only be described as a breathless enthusiasm, his scratching becoming more and more routine, and spread out all over his neck. "He's connected to All Might somehow! I know it!"
This man, Sensei… Izuku could only gulp. Shigaraki was calling this person Sensei? He knew it.
He knew it beyond any shadow of a doubt. There wasn't any mistake, and there wasn't any chance that he didn't know what was coming next.
His breathing started to increase. It couldn't be… But who else could it be? There was no one else that it could be. Somehow, the moment Izuku saw this man, he knew exactly who he was.
The man in front of him was All For One.
The mastermind behind the League of Villains. The man who could steal Quirks. The man who had single-handedly left All Might with such an injury it crippled his Hero Career for the rest of his life. The man who was, ironically, the reason One For All even existed in the first place.
And he the man who was going take One For All back.
"Is that so?" The Villain seemed to look at Izuku more, almost like he was ghosting his eyes over the green haired boy, inspecting him, as if he were unimpressed that this was someone that All Might had taken even the slightest of interests in. For some reason though, Izuku didn't get the sense that he was actually even seeing anything, in the most literal sense. Somehow, he just wasn't convinced that he was actually even being observed at the moment. "I've heard a great deal about you, Izuku Midoriya."
Words refused to leave Izuku's lips, not that he was sure of what he would even say if he could articulate a single cohesive sound. His eyes wouldn't – Couldn't – Leave All For One's face. Every instinct Izuku had screamed at him to run, but his muscles refused to move. Besides, where would he even go? What would he even do?
Absolutely nothing. He was totally at the Villains mercy.
"I thought that creepy hand fucker was the guy running things…. So you're the actual boss around here?"
To his immediate right, Izuku could hear Bakugou finally stirring up, honestly a little surprised he'd remained quiet for as long as he had done, though the time that he would hold his tongue had passed by rapidly. He must have done something to capture the attention of their captors, as the pair of them quickly turned their heads to face him not long after he'd finished speaking. They hadn't bothered to look while the Explosion Quirk user was actually addressing them. Izuku heard a metallic clang, presumably originating from Bakugou, attempting to get their attention focused on him, but he didn't turn his head at all to see.
His body refused to acknowledge anything outside of All For One as a threat, or of much importance whatsoever right now.
"I'm fuckin' talking to you!"
But to his side… He didn't need to see what Bakugou looked like to understand what had to be going through his head.
"All Might… Seriously… What the fuck?!..." The blond's voice was far more exasperated than angry in any sense of the word, like he was trying to piece together why he was the victim of some sort of elaborate joke that apparently the entire rest of existence had been in on. He almost sounded like he was on the verge of finally snapping and bursting into laughter from straight up losing his sanity over this crap. "You bastards sent an entire fucking squad of Villains to capture me, got Deku by accident, and now he's the fucking thing you're focused on?! Deku this, Deku that, Deku the other fucking bullshit!" His red eyes landed on his old childhood friend, burning with, more than anything, exasperated curiosity. "Talking about shit that doesn't make any sense…. And going on about something to do with All Might…"
Neither one of the Villains said a single word towards the tormented boy, nor did they seem particularly interested in acknowledging him at the moment. Given that the entire point of the forest invasion had indeed been to capture specifically Bakugou, Izuku couldn't say he was even slightly surprised with his absolute confusion. Frankly, Izuku suspected if their situations were reversed, he'd be just as bewildered. Even though Bakugou was perpetually angry towards him, Izuku could understand his fury in this respect.
At this point, for all Bakugou knew, he could have just been the bait, to lure Izuku in – Something that would no question be a shot to his pride.
All For One simply turned his head back towards the horrified One For All Inheritor, who hadn't budged even an inch. "Izuku Midoriya… From what I understand, your power causes you to break your own body with use, like your body is not used to such a Quirk…" His hands simply brought themselves together, palm across palm. "It's been a long time since I saw this Quirk in the hands of someone other than All Might." As he spoke, Shigaraki unlocked the cell door, allowing the monstrous Villain access into the cramped space Izuku was in.
With his back to the wall, Izuku couldn't even scramble away. What good would it even do? He couldn't speak, for whatever good that would do him. And with his body chained up like this, he couldn't even begin to try to fight. And even if he could…
He wasn't even trying to hide that he knew what Izuku was.
"…The fuck're you talking about?" Bakugou's voice had noticeably changed. For the first time in a long, long time, Izuku didn't hear even the slightest trace of fury in his voice. There wasn't even a hint of anger. It was difficult to tell if he was talking about the master Villain before him, or to Izuku himself.
Honestly, the One For All inheritor had absolutely no idea which would be worse.
A glance towards Bakugou, and then back to Izuku. All For One had a smirk on the exposed lower half of the mask he wore, making his overall face just that bit more sinister. "And he forces his protégés to hold onto the secret behind it, it seems. I'm sure he gave you no choice but to keep it a secret, to protect his status as the Symbol of Peace, correct?"
"Deku, what the fuck is he talking about?!"
"I've been looking forward to reclaiming this Quirk. I must thank you for returning it to me, Izuku Midoriya."
Izuku felt his eyes widen as wide as they would go, and his heart slam against his chest. He saw Shigaraki's grin grow wider and wider, as All For One entered Izuku's cell, approaching him slowly, step by painstaking step.
"A Quirk that can be passed down from person to person, becoming stronger and stronger with each person who wields it…" His deep voice only sent more and more shivers through the terrified inheritor's body. His hand started to glow a dark red colour, no question coming from his own Quirks activation. "A power so great, not even its current holder's body is able to withstand the strain of unleashing it, turning his own bodies into dust." Another step closer. "It was such a weak Quirk when it was born… And now is capable of such incredible feats. Just like a person, the more it grows, the stronger it is."
All For One was the indirect creator of One For All. He knew every single detail about the exceptionally powerful Quirk. How it worked, the secret behind its transference…
One more step closer. He now stood at the base of Izuku's feet, towering above him like he were a giant. "A society filled with Heroes who won't even act as Heroes… Even the legendary All Might became a liar, endangering but a poor Quirkless child, getting you into this situation, and he's not even here to save you..."
When had Izuku's eyes started to water up? He had no clue. And he didn't know why. Were his eyes just dry from his inability to blink? Was it in the face of overwhelming power? That he remembered what happened to those who had their powers stolen by All For One?
Or was it just pure fear that was having this effect on him?
"N-No…" Was all Izuku could even dare to utter, whilst All For One leaned towards him, and reached out to grab his face, to steal the power gifted to him by All Might, to steal his dream from him, to rip away everything he'd worked so hard for…
All For One was about to become the most powerful being in all of existence, without question.
And Izuku couldn't even bring himself to scramble away from it.
The only thing he could think to do was to firmly close his eyes, and await the darkness to come, repeatedly apologizing in his head. To All Might. To Kacchan. To his mother.
To Mina.
To everyone. For letting them down. And for the fact he wasn't going to be around to accept the responsibility. For not being able to do anything to stop this. For the first time in a long, long time, he truly was helpless. And he knew it.
He was terrified.
The red glow made its way through the thin layers of his eyelids, letting him see a vague, blurry red glow even with his firmly closed eyes. His breath ceased as he awaited blackness.
Suddenly, it came.
Along with the sound of receding footsteps.
"Master?! What are you doing?!" Shigaraki's voice rang out, now bewildered and confused, nasally as ever. "Aren't you going to reclaim All Might's power?!"
"I cannot make every decision for you, Tomura. If I choose for you, then you will learn nothing. These are your prisoners, and it is up to you to decide what to do with them." The now quieter voice of the large Villain still ominously bellowed throughout the room, though clearly he had left Izuku alone. "And in any case, that power would simply not suit your needs. It would require training that you would not be able to withstand. I fear it would tear your body apart."
Izuku's eyes very slowly reopened, the cold sweat on his forehead dripping down his face and onto the ground, his trembling body, and his rapid breathing all suddenly became known to the green haired boy again. He'd thought he'd been holding his breath the whole time. That he'd been totally still. Or had he been far too scared to notice? Had his fear left him blanking out even his automatic functions as a human being? Made him forget how to even breathe?
The Decay Quirk user exasperatedly looked back towards the horrified and shaking boy, his grin now turned into a frown and a glare. No effort was made to disguise the pure disgust or hatred that brewed within Shigaraki, nor did he hide the resentment he had for his master's choice to leave One For All within Izuku.
His glare turned into a snarl as he spoke. "Don't get too comfortable." As he spoke, the true leader of the League of Villains opened the door, and bright light began to fill the pitch black room. "You're going to be dead before this night is over, Izuku Midoriya."
Darkness returned just as soon as it arrived, though not once did Izuku's eyes ever shut. He simply stared at the open door, and watched it close, unable to bring himself to move in the slightest.
What had… Just happened? Everything had occurred so quickly, and so much had just gone down. His brain was just filled with thoughts of what had just happened. Millions of questions rattled through his head. Questions he doubted that he'd ever receive definitive answers to. Questions he didn't think he wanted the answers to. His thudding heart had sent blood all throughout his body, warming him up, but that was fleeting, and cold became known to him again.
Why?... Why was he alive right now?
What on earth had All For One been thinking?... Why hadn't he stolen – Or more accurately reclaimed – One For All? Why… What?...
What had been the point of what had just happened?...
His heavy breathing calmed down as time slowly progressed, his heart finally deigning to calm down. So many questions…
And when he finally moved his head to look towards Bakugou, his eyes wide, but firmly focused on the Quirk Inheritor…
"A successful rescue mission that doesn't involve fighting anyone isn't exactly a very likely outcome."
Tsuyu was the one who finally spoke, breaking the silence that the rescue group had maintained since stepping foot on the train. And unlike those who were focusing primarily on the rescue of their classmates, she was keeping a level head on her shoulders. She was thinking a lot more rationally, and knew that proper likelihood that their way of skirting around the law would actually have of success. Which was, unfortunately, next to none.
Unlike Iida and Yaoyorozu though, she wasn't holding that information back. She was laying it thick onto the more hard-headed members, without restriction.
She didn't receive any real argument from anyone on that front. She got a couple of looks of disapproval and disparity, but no one vocally said anything. While they had been adamant that their operation would be within the boundaries of the law, that they wouldn't cross the line and end up just as bad as any Villain, deep down, past all their determined grit and narrow-minded determination, Kirishima, Todoroki, Uraraka and Mina all knew where their plans were realistically headed. They all knew the reality of the situation.
Even if they managed to locate the Villains lair, find the Villains themselves, locate Izuku and Bakugou wherever they were, and did this all before the Heroes got anywhere close to them… What were the chances that they were going to do all of this without ending up in a dangerous situation?
It was deep, thick mud that they were all headed into. And everyone knew it.
Use of Quirks without permission. Heading out on their own to locate their two classmates despite explicit instructions not to do so. Taking the law into their own hands. Endangering themselves and others. Interfering with official Hero and Police business… No doubt another fifty or sixty things they could be charged with if this all went horrendously, and no slap on the wrist was going to save them from the full wrath of the justice system.
The reality of the situation was that a lot of them knew they weren't really going to be able to do anything. Not if they were going to keep their word not to get involved in a fight, or do anything that put them at risk.
By the time Tsuyu had actually said anything, the train was only about an hour and a half away from arriving in the Kamino ward, with only a few stations they needed to stop at on the way there. Every second that the train was stopped, not moving anywhere, was a moment that Mina felt made her go a little bit more crazy. Being cramped inside the giant locomotive was bad enough, but the pink girl couldn't help but let her mind wander to the worst possible places. What if they were too late? What if the Villains had already made their move and escaped? What if Yaomomo's tracking device wasn't entirely accurate?
What if Izuku had already been…
She couldn't shake these thoughts. Not any of the guilt that she felt for what had happened to Izuku. Her mind racing with all the things that she needed to tell him when they finally rescued him, and she could actually see him right in front of her. All the things that she needed to apologize for. All the things that she needed to get off her chest. The things she needed to confess.
Her brain still was filled with guilt for those around her though.
No matter what way her brain sliced it, all of them were only here at all because of her and her failings. Her inability to stop Izuku from doing such reckless things that caused this mess. Her own lack of restraint and compromise when 'Bakugou' had shown up had no question caused everyone a great deal of stress and anxiety, even if she had turned out to be right in the end. Her and Kirishima's failure to stop her, which was why they had had that massive rush to get to their friends before the shapeshifter could report anything…
So much of this was her fault for one reason or another, and that didn't sit well with her. It made her feel ill, to be frank.
"…I must say, I was surprised by your decision to join this mission, Uraraka."
Mina glanced towards the Creation Quirk user as she made her statement towards the brown-haired girl, whom now looked up at her face with a mixture of confusion and surprise. To be honest, Mina agreed with Yaoyorozu. Though she was grateful for any and all additional help, one of the last people that she had expected to ready themselves for battle was Uraraka. Even more bizarre had been the way that she had so openly and readily utilized her Quirk an actual Police Officer when she'd needed to. She hadn't held back at all either. She'd almost gone off like a bullet, reacting immediately once she felt that she was needed. How much of that came from her training with Gunhead and the drastic improvement she'd made since then, and how much of it was just her own basic instinct was up for debate.
Either way, it had been a shock to see.
"To be honest, it surprised me a lot as well." Uraraka confessed, scratching the side of her cheek while her eyes glanced to the side. "I just kind of… Moved without even realizing it."
"In fairness, I guess that officer was attracted by all the noise we made, huh? Maybe that's why he moved against us..." Kirishima pointed out. "Not that we could have done anything about it, though…"
Uraraka nodded. "I'm not sure if I would have come along if it were just Bakugou. I… He'd probably see being rescued by everyone as an insult…" Her head then turned away from the taller girl, and looked out the window, watching the countryside pass them by. "And… After everything that Ashido told us about how he treated Deku…"
Silence fell on everyone again. Everything Mina had told them had been the truth, but it was clear that not everyone fully wanted to believe it. A volatile, anti-social, vulgar mouthed and aggressive punk that he was, there wasn't any denying the sheer dedication that he put into becoming a Hero, and how serious he was about it. No matter what their opinion of him personally was, it was hard not not have at least some respect for him, his Quirk, and his abilities. He was rough around the edges, sure, but no one honestly thought that he'd go down the path of Villainy…
No one was perfect, and some people could even get past the fact he used to be abrasive and pushed people around – He was at Yuuei, so logically he regretted it and had put that all behind him, right?...
According to Mina though, and with complete accuracy, that treatment of his most frequent victim simply hadn't stopped. No one had noticed, because they had assumed there were personal problems that made Bakugou aggressive towards Izuku, but never outright hostile. His bloodlust during combat training didn't seem exclusive to Izuku, and for the most part, recently he'd left the guy completely alone. A possible sign of him slowly calming down, in their eyes.
But telling someone to end their own life… Learning that his treatment hadn't ever stopped, but he'd just reigned it in to avoid risk of getting thrown out of Yuuei…
That apparently, he'd done to this someone who had been Quirkless to boot… While few people could really claim to fully understand the mechanics of how that worked, Mina's explosion had pretty much confirmed there was some truth to it, no matter how ridiculous that it might have seemed. But that meant that not only had Bakugou been a bully, he'd been treating someone with a birth defect so cruelly, based on his own powers?
Sickening wasn't even the right word.
A small croaking noise came from Tsuyu as she lowered her head in agreement. She had already told the group that the main reason she was there was to back up Iida and Yaoyorozu, to reign everyone in if she thought that things were going to get messy. Worried about her captured classmates as she was, she didn't want anyone else getting hurt that didn't need to. She didn't want to see her friends wind up getting arrested, or thrown out of Yuuei, or whatever could happen. That didn't mean she didn't have her own opinions on what was going on, or that she didn't want to save Izuku and Bakugou… But recalling everything that one had done to the other, the other being one of her first friends at Yuuei…
Knowing that she'd seen it – That they'd all seen it – And just let it slide… No one felt good about themselves. No one honestly knew what to think about that particular situation.
No one aside from Mina knew how they really felt about Bakugou…
"….Kirishima." Mina finally spoke, slowly lifting her head from staring at her balled-up fists, towards the teenager directly opposite her.
He had been eating some sort of lunch box that the train provided while staring out the window, to keep his strength up, food being something Mina hadn't been able to stomach for the last few days. He quickly noticed her movements, and turned his head towards her, swallowing whatever was in his mouth quickly before talking. "Yeah, Ashido?"
She knew the words that she wanted to say to him, but for the briefest of moments, they simply didn't come. Not because she knew that she was conceding anything, giving up some kind of argument she had felt compelled to win…. But out of guilt. Guilt that she even had to do this, because of just how bizarre she'd been acting ever since the lodge. Whatever she'd thought back then…. She knew he deserved this now.
"… I'm sorry."
Both their eyes had made line-of-sight contact as she'd spoken, and she didn't dare blink, for fear that Kirishima would see her apology as disingenuous. She meant it, and wanted him to know that. She was sorry. And she felt awful about everything.
Of everyone in 1A, he deserved an apology the most.
For his part, the Hardening Quirk user just blinked a couple of times and raised an eyebrow over his scarred eye. "What're you apologizing for?" He sounded honestly confused, like he didn't know what was going on.
"Everything." Mina sighed, looking out the window. "Being… Harsh towards you. Taking everything out on you…. When that Shapeshifter showed up as Bakugou…. I completely turned against you just because you thought your friend had come back… And I didn't want 'him' on the rescue team, even though what you said made more sense. And… When you came to try and talk to me, I…"
Nothing but shame washed over her for how she'd talked to him. How she'd tried to make him feel so awful. How she'd tried to turn him against Bakugou back then. Nothing about what she'd done back then even vaguely resembled the person that she was, the person she felt she was, or the person that she wanted to be. Kirishima had been the one to bring back some kind of light into this situation, who had approached her and told her he was willing to risk everything just to try and help her save her boyfriend.
"…Even after we all thought Bakugou came back… You didn't change the mission at all. You still… You wanted to help save Izuku, even when you two aren't the closest of friends… And I treated you like dirt. Because I was just so angry at…. Everything that was happening. At everyone for being able to be so relieved that someone like him had been released by the Villains… And then you saved my life from that girl… I… "
"Don't. Stop that."
Holding up one of his hands almost like a stop sign, Kirishima's voice made Mina look towards him again. He was clearly trying to stay strong right now, to hide behind that manly façade he kept up ever since middle school ended. Still, his voice was strong, and his actions spoke for themselves.
"… I'm the one who should be apologizing to you, Ashido." He said, sighing as he lowered his hand into his open, opposing palm. "Once we thought Bakugou returned, I didn't even think about how that was going to affect you. You're still worried now, and I can't even imagine what it must have felt like when 'Bakugou' showed up, covered in blood. I…. Completely forgot about everything you were going through for a while." He looked ashamed himself. "I… I still stand by what I said. If we had more people, the mission would have had a better chance of success. There's seven of us now. I think we've got a shot at this… But I didn't consider how bringing him along would have felt for you. Of course you'd oppose it…"
His right hand slowly rose again, to which he stared at in complete horror.
"And I… I hit you."
He almost sounded like he was about to break down from that fact and that fact alone. It had been a solid punch, and he hadn't held back with it at all. The only way that it could have been more painful was if he'd activated his Quirk on top of it. Mina lightly touched the bruise that she still had on the side of her cheek. His strike had been as much of a shock to her as it had been to him.
Shaking his head, he clamped his left hand over his dominant hand tightly. "That wasn't right. Forget it not being heroic, or not being manly… It just plain wasn't right. And there's no justifying it. I'm sorry, I am so sorry, Ashido."
"… Don't be." Mina told him, sitting back in her set. "To be honest… I think it snapped me out of my madness back then. I think I needed something like that." She wasn't making it up either. Only after that hit had she been able to force herself to calm down, and think rationally again. In a way, Kirishima hitting her had been the best thing for her in that moment. She had needed it. And she didn't hold it against him. Not in the slightest.
"That doesn't make it right!"
"Then I forgive you for it. Completely and entirely, dude."
Seven seconds of silence passed between the two of them, Kirishima's guilt still evident in the way he sat, and how he looked, while Mina's remorse still ran clearly throughout her eyes. The two friends had said and done things to one another they hadn't meant, and never would mean. Even though they weren't particularly close back at Yuuei, or in middle school, they held one another in respect, and didn't want to hurt one another.
"… I guess we've got a lot of stuff we feel bad about…" Mina finally said, trying to offer a small smile to the boy across from her. This back and forth, it wouldn't get them anywhere, and if they kept bringing up all the things that they'd done to one another recently, they'd end up being here all day. "…For what it's worth, I don't hold anything against you. I understand why you did what you did… And I think you can understand why I did what I did…. So… Let's just leave it at that?"
Kirishima nodded in agreement, believing that to be the best course of action, though he couldn't stop himself. "I am sorry, Ashido. I really am."
"…Yeah. I am too." Mina nodded back at him, echoing his sentiments exactly. Their mutual apologies had, admittedly, made her feel a little bit better about the whole fiasco. Not much, but she did feel a little less tense for having cleared the air. Close or not, she didn't dislike the guy at all. She respected him well enough.
"…We're going to get them back, you know." He told her, sternly. "We're gonna save him, and you and Midoriya are gonna have a long overdue talk." That part in particular caught Mina's attention, making her look up at him properly again. He didn't stop talking though. "You guys have some stuff you need to work through. You're gonna have to work them out, or something like this is gonna happen again."
He wasn't wrong. Mina knew she and Izuku, they didn't have the absolute perfect relationship. No couple did. But there were things Mina needed to say, and Izuku may have things he wanted to say to her. She didn't know. But there were issues. Things that they needed to talk about.
Things that needed to be resolved if they wanted to stay together.
"… For the record." Todoroki stated aloud, for the rest of the group to hear him. Once he knew that everyone was paying attention to him, he carried on. "…I'm going to say this so we're all on the same page. What we're doing here is based on pride. Even if that's not why we're doing it, that's how everyone else is going to see it, and no one will ever approve of it. Sero, Kaminari and Mineta helped us, but if they want to keep any chance of attending Yuuei, they'll claim that we didn't leave them with any choice."
Not unreasonable, and not an action anyone on the train would blame them for. Technically, they were the ones in the right, and there was absolutely no reason for them to take the fall if they could get away with it. Mina wouldn't hold it against them.
"…This is partly my fault, I know." The Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user admitted. "That girl caught me off guard. I was concerned that my ice would rip the front of the hospital apart, so I held back. Because of that, Midoriya and Bakugou are in danger, so I can't walk away from this… But if anyone wants to back out now, now would be a good time to do it."
It was Kirishima who reacted first and without any hesitation. He took another bite out of his meal, chewing while he spoke. "If I wasn't sure about this, I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place! I'm seeing this through, no matter what!"
"That's right!" Uraraka next, her hands balled up into fists. "I know I made my choice in the heat of the moment, but I'm certain about doing this! Deku's helped me more times than I can count, so this is the least that I can do!"
"And I'm here to help Iida and Yaoyorozu keep you all in check. I can't turn and run now." Tsuyu spoke right after her friend, though she didn't turn her head to look at anyone as she spoke. The did seem to be a little bit of internal conflict within the Frog-Form girl, but she was putting it aside, trying to focus more on the good that this mission could do than the bad that it would inevitably cause to befall them.
There wasn't any sort of doubt on Mina's side. Nothing that even slightly compelled her to even consider turning back now. The mission, its outcome, everything had much too much meaning to her.
Ever since she and Izuku had started dating, he had been the one who had led the pair of them. She was the more openly flirty and affectionate, and took the lead in the intimacy and relationship part of things, but Izuku was the one who had been in charge, when she thought about it. He was the one who had taught her, brought out the best in her. Shown her that she could be more than she already was. He was the reason that she had grown in her confidence, both physical and academic. He had picked her up when she was down, and helped her out of terrible situations. He'd always protected her.
It had always been him helping her…
"…I couldn't live with myself if I turned back now." She said, feeling the rest of their groups eyes fall on her. "Izuku's been… He's been the reason that I'm the way I am now. He's brought out the best in me… And protected me… I adore the guy. I love him."
Her fist tightened, and she looked back at her group.
"There's no going back. This time, I'm going to be the one who saves him."