This Time

Chapter 4

Toshinori would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about tonight's dinner. Nezu knew about One for All and was aware that he'd found a successor to pass his quirk along to, so there was no question that he completely trusted the principal. It was more accurate to say that the fluttering in his stomach was due to guilt - he was about to admit to another hero his dealings with a criminal. No matter the circumstances for it, he still felt ashamed.

The past several months had been stressful for Toshinori for so many reasons - first of all he had his aforementioned student to train, and the boy still had a ways to go before his body was ready to handle his quirk. On top of planning the child's training schedule, his normal patrols and hero work, and starting to work on his lesson plans for the upcoming school year, his thoughts were also now plagued with conflicting emotions on his involvement with Hara. By now, he was convinced that the young woman meant well, but that didn't make it any easier to lie and deceive people who trusted him.

The path to hell was paved with good intentions, after all.

All Might was the first to arrive at the restaurant, and he greeted the hostess before mentioning their reservation. Once shown to the secluded table at the back of the restaurant, he sat with his back to the wall and looked out across the room. The place was decently busy, but not over crowded. The murmur of conversation and the average ambiance of restaurant noises blended into a background hum that would do quite nicely to to block their meeting from anyone else's ears. Sometimes the most secret of places were in plain sight.

He looked down at his phone, checking to see if Hara had messaged him since the last time he checked - she hadn't. Really, he should have asked if he could pick her up so he would know for sure that she would show. It was an oversight on his part that hopefully he wouldn't regret. His fears turned out to be unfounded a minute later when a woman in a slim black dress came through the door. For the second time, he was astounded at her ability to look a different age. He knew she was in her early twenties, but this woman looked mature and elegant. If he'd had to guess he would have put her closer to thirty. The hero chuckled to himself, Don't women usually prefer to be perceived as younger than their actual age? But he assumed she had chosen this look on purpose. She looked professional and sure of herself, and All Might admired that she knew exactly how to give a good first impression.

In the few months he'd known Hara, he realized some things about the girl. For one, she was a master at displaying only the emotions she wished. Call it acting, manipulation, self preservation or whatever else you wanted but Toshinori understood very well what that was like. Secondly, Hara Mei was no fool. She was smart and didn't do anything without thinking about it first. There were no impulsive decisions nor anything done in the spur of the moment when it came to the vigilante. She had a coolness about her actions that were no surprise given her background, and it was apparent by her attire and demeanor that tonight was just another disguise. She had to sell herself and her plan to Nezu, and she was prepared for that. But she'd forgotten one important detail.

I am here, thought All Might.

Hara wasn't doing this alone. As nervous as he felt, he was going to back her up. The plan was crazy, but it could work, and Toshinori hoped the young woman knew she truly had him on her side.

He'd learned that she only patrolled at night time, and rarely acted during the day. The night brought with it both an increase in crime and a greater chance for escape should she need it. Her all black "hero suit" blended into the night, and she could get in, do her job, and get out faster than most professional heroes could. Yet, at the same time she never hesitated to comfort any victims or bystanders even when the sounds of sirens were drawing closer. When she spoke with citizens, she wasn't boisterous or overly charismatic like so many heroes were (All Might included), but rather she spoke kind words in tones that felt safe. She may not be well known, but the citizens that did know of the vigilante adored her.