Aizawa was the last teacher to arrive in principal Nezu's office after the call was made. Tomorrow was the PLE and he had planned in a quirk counseling session with Midoriya that was now cut short. The problem child was doing good though, now focussing on training with his legs instead of his arms. He was making quick progress, but that wasn't new.
The kid only had that quirk for about half a year and he was already using it up on this level. He had a backlog on the rest of his class on that front, seeing as kids mostly develop their quirks at 4 and have years to adjust to it. All Might may have chosen a good successor after all...
Shouta's good mood fell instantly when he entered the office though, seeing and sensing the tense atmosphere inside the room. He noticed Yagi's detective friend was here too. So the police were involved huh? This was definitely going to be bad news... With a small sigh, he sat down in the only empty chair left, looking down to see a file laying in front of him. It seemed like every faculty member had a copy of the file and by the tension he guessed everyone had already read its content.
His eyes widened as he opened it up, the first words already sending a threatening chill down his spine. No... This wasn't possible...
"Now that everyone is here, I'd like to discuss this matter with you" Nezu stated, his paws folded together as his dark eyes gave nothing away.
"This situation is indeed very unfortunate and I would like to implement extra safety regulations in order to keep the students safe"
Keep the students safe? Was that a joke? With All Might retired, there was no stopping this monster. Aizawa took a double take on the file, making sure he didn't misread anything. But unfortunately his eyes weren't deceiving him, because there it stood, in big bold letters.
REPORT ON THE ESCAPE OF ALL FOR ONE
The black haired man looked back up, his eyes meeting those of All Might, or rather, Toshinori Yagi. All For One was his biggest enemy, one he gave up everything for in hopes of defeating that monstrous power. Hell, the sole purpose of One For All was to defeat him! But it seems that even though he gave it his all, it wasn't enough. Toshinori could be in danger, All For One could be out for revenge... Or maybe...
Shouta's body froze up for a moment. Midoriya. What if he knew All Might had a successor? What if he was going after Midoriya next..?
"What about the Provincial Licensing Exam?" someone asked.
"Shouldn't it be cancelled? Why is the Hero Commission not doing anything?"
"Yes, news like this would normally be broadcasted all over the country" someone else added.
"The police and the Hero Commission are trying to keep it low profile" the detective explained.
"If the public caught word of his escape, there would be a nationwide panic. Right now, we need to keep our heads cool and come up with a plan"
He pressed a button, a picture being projected on the white screen against the wall. It showed a building in a seemingly peaceful area. But looks can deceive.
"We've seen him have contact with the yakuza and enter this domain which we believe is owned by one of the main families" the detective explained.
"Right now we're preparing a raid in order to arrest and capture All For One once more"
"Why do you think you stand a chance against that man?" Aizawa asked, glaring at him.
"We all saw the destruction in Kamino. We all know what happened to our colleague, All Might. Other heroes didn't stand a chance against him, so what makes you think you will be able to take him now?"
"Due to the medication he was given in Tartarus, he shouldn't be able to use the majority of his quirks. In other words, he's vulnerable. We have limited time until the effect of those drugs wear off, which is why we need to act quickly" the man answered.
"I already offered the police a part of our UA faculty to assist in the raid" Nezu stated.
"I understand if there are objections and I will not force anyone to go. Necessary personnel will stay on campus and those who are guiding the hero students to the PLE will stay with their students. All other staff is free to join in"
So they're doing it on the day of the exam huh? Basically all hero students from across the country will be under the Hero Commission's watch, which can assure their safety. After the many attacks on UA, they are starting to prioritize student safety more and more. Up until this point they almost only interacted with pro heroes, those who were already active in the field, not so much with the future generation that was still sitting behind a desk. They're changing things up, probably due to the heavy criticism they faced.
"We can not, under any circumstance, let the students know about this" Nezu stated.
"They will be told you've been called in for a mission, but nothing more. Those who remain on campus will also refrain from giving any intel until the official broadcast and report has been made"
"Looks like there is little left to discuss" Midnight pointed out.
"We need to act quickly, so I'm giving you my best suggestion" Nezu answered.
"Does everyone agree?"
There were a few mumbles and glances before everyone nodded and let out small noises of agreement.
"Good. Then we will now be selecting the pro heroes of our faculty that will be assisting in the arrest of All For One"
//\\
\\//
It was the day of the Provincial Licensing Exam. An exam Katsuki should've been a part of... He's been hanging around 1-A during lunch a lot, trying to cling onto the past, pretending he was still a hero. All that talk about training and the exam had made him feel so isolated and every time they talked about it, reality hit him in the face. He was quirkless now. No quirk, no hero, no exam, no way around it. That was the situation. It fucking sucked.
Katsuki let out a shaky breath as he dragged the small blade across his soft skin, cutting the flesh open with little to no struggle. Since 1-A wasn't in school today and his class already knows he disappears at lunch, he managed to slip back into the dorms. Majutsu sometimes ate with him, but he told her he left something back in the classroom and ditched her that way.
Her quirk was called Demonic Possession. She could take over the body of anyone she looked at, which was quite scary to think about. But it took a toll on both the victim and herself. The victim would cry blood, as a sign of possession, and she would be exhausted by the time her mind returned to her body. She also got serious headaches out of it. She admitted that she didn't tell him because she didn't want Katsuki to judge her based on her quirk.
It was quite a...villainous power, after all...
But her personality was the total opposite and it's not like she used it to hurt or toy with people. Yet Katsuki knew that didn't matter to the eyes of society. She was probably bullied when she was younger, poor thing.
He let out another small breath as he put the blade on the edge of the sink, simply watching himself bleed. It always had a grounding effect on him for some reason. Reminding him he was still human, that he was still here, still alive. Still trying to prove himself to a world that didn't want to accept him... Tears blurred his vision, mixing in with the blood as the droplets fell into the sink.
Katsuki didn't know what time it was. He hadn't bothered bringing his phone in here with him and he didn't exactly have a clock in this miserable small bathroom either. Ugh... He wiped his eyes with his other hand, letting out a small Fuck. Would they come find him if he was late to class after lunch..? Why did he have to come here and do it anyway?! He just fucked himself over even more... Ha, story of his life, am I right?
He let out a shallow laugh at the thought, hissing as his cuts rubbed against the cold surface of the sink. He needed to get this cleaned up and get back to class... There was no time for his music therapy so he'll just have to force himself out of his current headspace. That wasn't going to work though and he knew it. Maybe he could listen to music while designing some stuff in the workshop? They weren't doing any actual building today anyway.
Or maybe he could just stay here? Cool down on his own, cry in his bed, all cuddled up in blankets as he cries about his miserable life... It made him question why he was even still going through all of this. Death was easier, wasn't it? There was a knock on his door, making him freeze up. His heart stopped and it seemed like everything around him stopped moving.
"Bakugou? Are you there?"
Why was Majutsu here? What did she want of him? He didn't answer, he just stood completely still.
"I know you're in here. Maijima sensei can track which doors you last opened with your key card" she continued. Fuck.
"Class started half an hour ago and he was worried and told me to come get you because we get along. His reaction was weird though... Like, he was pretty freaked out when you didn't show up? Don't know why, but he wants you back in class asap"
Katsuki still didn't answer her. Instead he looked down upon his bleeding arm, thinking over his options. He couldn't face her like this, but if he opened up the tap to clean up, she would hear the water running. All he could do was stand here and wait for her to leave...
"Ugh, are you sleeping or something? Damnit, didn't think I would actually have to use this..."
There was a beeping sound, the sound of his door unlocking. His eyes widened and his heartbeat picked up as the door to his room opened. Now only one door was separating them, one with no lock... How did she even get in? Did their teacher give her an all access key card..? Why was the school so worried about him all of the sudden?
It was because of what happened with Gengo sensei, wasn't it..? Nezu had told them after all... Or Gengo did so himself? They all saw him as weak now, someone that needed to be protected, kept in sight and within reach.
"Bakugou?" she called out, finding it strange he wasn't here. That was up until she saw the light coming from the small bathroom. She really didn't want to walk in there unannounced...
"Uhm, are you in here? Is everything okay?"
"D-don't..." Katsuki choked out, taking a dreading breath as he stared at the door. As if that was going to stop her from coming in...
"Don't... Don't come in, p-please..."
His voice was cracking, sounding way more fragile than he wanted. He mentally cursed at himself, knowing this would only make Majutsu want to check in on him even more so.
"Are you okay? You don't sound okay" she stated, standing in front of the door with a frown on her face.
"I'm fine" Katsuki answered, but the tremble in his voice gave away that he was far from it.
"Don't lie to me" Majutsu sighed.
"Now come out before I have to come in"
"N-no... No, please, just... Just tell Maijima sensei I wasn't feeling okay o-or something..." Katsuki breathed, clenching his fist, making his arm sting as his muscles tensed up, a wave of pain shooting through him. Why did he torture himself like this? Why did he find it so grounding? He knew this wasn't healthy, that this wasn't okay, he wasn't stupid. Yet he couldn't stop... He had to cope one way or another, right?
"Are you sick? Want me to bring you to Recovery Girl?" the black haired girl asked, now leaning onto the wall next to the bathroom.
"Look, I can't just leave you in here, alright? You didn't see the panic on Maijima's face. It was like he thought you'd been kidnapped again or something..."
Katsuki's breath hitched at the thought. No, stay calm, breathe. That fucker is in prison now and the League hasn't made a move ever since. They could've been disbanded, there was no way to tell for sure. He was safe, they couldn't get to him anymore. There was a small silence between them before Majutsu sighed.
"Alright, I'm opening up his door so you better have pants on"
"N-no, wait, don't-" Katsuki yelped, stumbling back and falling on top of the toilet as blood dripped everywhere, his shirt now smeared as he held his arm close to his chest. His teary eyes were wide as they stared into the shocked golden orbs of his friend. No, no, no, no, no, no, no... This couldn't be happening! She couldn't see him like this! Nobody was supposed to see him like this!
"You're... You're bleeding" she whispered. Yeah, no fucking shit!
"G-get out" Katsuki choked, holding his bleeding arm, flinching as the fabric of his shirt rubbed against the open wounds. The feeling of the blood soaking his uniform and the wetness touching his skin underneath felt disgusting.
"L-leave... Get out"
"...What? No" Majutsu frowned, her eyes trailing aside and landing on the stained razor blade that was placed on the edge of the sink.
"G-go...away..." Katsuki choked out, making himself smaller as he pulled his legs up on the toilet. Luckily the seat was closed when he fell on top, letting it function more as a chair than a toilet.
His arm hurt and the cuts stung as he basically felt them getting dirty. If he didn't clean them out, they might get infected. That's really the last thing he needs right now.
"Hey, it's okay... I'm here to help" Majutsu whispered, reaching out to him. Wrong move, certainly when Katsuki was already in this kind of headspace. The ash blonde saw the hand reaching out to him and completely lost it. He started hyperventilating, trying to push himself back as much as possible and making himself smaller. Tears started streaming down much quicker now and his heart rate increased rapidly.
Images of another hand flashed through his mind, but they were blurry and vague. They reached out to him from the darkness. He couldn't dodge, he couldn't evade, he couldn't move at all. Tied down and silenced, helplessly watching the hand draw closer. He felt so scared... Katsuki knew he was shaking and trembling and he flinched when a hand touched his skin, his whole body freezing up as a chill ran over his spine. His breathing stopped and his heart skipped a beat before beating even faster than before.
"Bakugou, calm down, it's okay, it's me, you're okay, I'm not mad, I'm not going to hurt you" Majutsu rambled, trying her best to get control over this situation. She'd never done anything like this before and this was different from the time he freaked out in class.
"Bakugou, please... Please, it's alright, you're fine, everything is fine"
Katsuki could faintly hear her voice in the background but he had no idea what she was saying. He didn't understand anything anymore. All his senses were giving him mixed signals of flight and fight and he was freezing up, his body shutting down and going into overdrive all at once. And then suddenly, it all stopped. He was taken by the black void of unconsciousness.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he woke up, laying on a soft surface, surrounded by warmth. A bed. He was laying in bed, but this wasn't his room. There was white, a lot of it. Shifting his position hurt and he quickly felt the bandages around his lower arm. His eyes were still swollen from all the crying and he had a few ideas as to what happened.
One, he made himself pass out in his panic attack. Two, Majutsu used her quirk on him and made him pass out. Then there were the options on where he was. Maybe her room? But the nurse's office made more sense. Recovery Girl had probably wrapped up his arm and kissed him in order for the cuts to heal quicker. That would explain why he felt so tired... He glanced up at the window, seeing it was still light out. It was probably somewhere in the afternoon then.
"Have you contacted his parents?"
Katsuki was almost certain that was Power Loader, but he didn't bother turning around in bed to catch his eye. They probably hadn't noticed he was awake yet...
"Yes, they're on their way here as we speak" Recovery Girl answered. Great. Like his parents weren't worrying enough already... He had finally convinced them he was doing okay and now they're being dragged into this mess. Life is just great, isn't it?
"Do you think he knows?" Power Loader asked, softer than his previous question.
"No, that's impossible. The news hasn't reached the public yet" Recovery Girl said and sighed in addition.
"I don't want to know how this boy will react if he discovers that man is on the loose again..."
"Yeah... The heroes barely stood a chance and a lot were heavily injured. The raid was a total bust" Maijima muttered with a certain anger in his voice.
"I swear we'll get that monster behind bars again. All For One is too dangerous to be allowed to roam the streets freely. I'm sure the Hero Commission will track down his location soon enough. We'll get another shot at this and we won't fail again"
Katsuki's eyes shot open as he heard who they were talking about. All For One...escaped..? He's out of Tartarus..? But that's the most high security prison in existence! Nobody should be able to escape that place! No... No, no, no, he must've heard wrong, right? There is no way... All For One couldn't be free, it wasn't.... It's not possible, he can't escape. All Might put him in prison, he's in a cell, he's being watched and guarded and he can't escape. H-he... He can't.
Katsuki hadn't realised his breathing had become louder and his body was trembling again. The conversation was dropped instantly and Recovery Girl rushed over to her patient. Katsuki was silently tearing up, staring blankly ahead of him.
"H-he... He escaped..?" Katsuki asked, his voice cracking as tears blurred his vision. It wasn't possible... He can't escape Tartarus. Nobody has ever escaped Tartarus before. But he could see in Recovery Girl's eyes that it was true. All For One was free... He escaped prison and the heroes weren't able to recapture him... Fear washed over him and all his body seemed to be able to do was cry. Katsuki was still in full denial. Even if he knew it was the truth, he didn't want to believe it.
He didn't notice Power Loader leaving the room as he sobbed, burying his head into the pillow. Recovery Girl patted his back, giving some minor form of comfort as he tried to calm himself down. It wasn't fair... It just wasn't fair! How could the man that did this to him- That gave him all this trauma- That took away his dream and his future- How could someone like that walk away unscatched while Katsuki was suffering?! While he was left crying on the floor, hurting.
Is this karma finally catching up to him? Is this how the victims of his bullying felt after he beat them up? Did Deku feel this way..? He never faced any consequences for his behaviour either... Was this life getting revenge on him? Payback for all the harm and hurt he caused, the fear he struck into people's hearts... Was he no better than All For One? Was this what he deserved? To be left to suffer and be scared for the rest of his life? Was he even worth coming after now that he already stole his quirk?
Probably not... He was nothing more than another pebble on the road. No threat whatsoever... A cold void seemed to surround his heart and fill up his chest as another thought struck his mind. Izuku is a worthy target.
He is All Might's successor, he is the only one with the potential to beat All For One. Where was Izuku right now? What was he doing? Who was he with? Katsuki needed to make sure he was okay, to make sure All For One didn't get him too. He didn't want to cause the end of One For All, he didn't want another hero to fall before his eyes!
He shot up, taking Recovery Girl by surprise. Now that the blanket fell off his torso, he noticed he had a new plain white shirt on. It wasn't his. Probably a spare one that laid around the nurse's office or something. His own shirt was probably covered in blood anyway. The bandages were very visible, but he didn't care. Katsuki heaved himself out of the bed as Recovery Girl tried to stop him, only to be pushed aside.
Katsuki was still strong, he still had some muscle, and Recovery Girl was just an old lady when it came down to it. He easily pushed her aside and left the nurse's office. He noticed there weren't any students in the classrooms anymore as he rushed down the hall. That meant school already ended. Damnit, did he really sleep that long? But it also meant 1-A should be back from the Provincial Licensing Exam, right? They should all be in the dormitory, safe and sound and celebrating their success or mourning their failure.
Katsuki wiped some of the water from his eyes as he exited the main school building, running straight towards the 1-A Heights Alliance. The road seemed longer than usual and all kinds of doom scenarios rushed through his head. The weather was getting colder and the wind cut in his face and his bare arms as he ran. The concrete of the pathway felt rough underneath his feet and he realised he wasn't wearing any shoes.
Katsuki almost ran past his turn, unable to stop his momentum now that the adrenaline had kicked in. He stumbled while making the turn, almost slipping and falling. The door was within his field of vision right now, but he had no way to open it up. He didn't have his key card on him and even if he did, it wouldn't open this door. He didn't have access to this building... Why would he? It wasn't his dormitory, not even his course. Not that Katsuki cared in this moment. He'd ram the door if he had to.
Luckily for his otherwise broken and bruised body, the door opened up, allowing him to run inside with a speed he didn't have full control over. His eyes darted around the room, searching for that one person to soothe all his current worries away. The biggest threat to All For One, the one that said he would protect him and keep him safe. And after a second of scanning the room, there he was. Midoriya Izuku in all his green glory.
Katsuki tried to slow down but ended up tackling him to the ground anyway. Izuku yelped as he fell over, holding onto Kacchan and pulling him on top of him in his fall. Thank God... Thank fucking God he was okay... Katsuki took a shaky breath, burying his face in Izuku's chest. Thank fucking God...