The loud roar of thunder and the flash of lightning, it's all deafening. Naomasa wishes for this night to be over, to let the battle end and for his friend to go home without anything but the memory of defeating the villain who killed his mentor. His perception changes when he stumbles upon the body of the teen who he has known since the boy was the mere age of twelve. The detective blinks widely, grabbing the boy and holding him close. He ignores the cold rain that soaks them to the bone. The loud sirens and flashing lights are all that Tsukauchi registers at that horrible moment as he rushes forward with the boy in his arms. The drizzling rain soaks him to the bone as he holds the boy close to his chest as he weaves his way through the crowd of heroes, heading straight for the ambulance. The boy in his arms is the same boy whose heart had been ripped out and is healing—slowly. Burst into dust and reformed near him, Tsukauchi is not sure how to explain it. He places the boy on a stretcher as the paramedics start honking him up to machines. The heart monitor is a flatline and the medics are left staring at the cavity in the boy's chest. They watch the skin stitch itself together. They're so used to it that it doesn't affect them, but Tsukauchi isn't. He isn't used to seeing people die and heal like it was nothing—immortality quirks or even reanimation quirks are rare and he had never dealt with them before. He turns away with slight revulsion at the sight, nausea playing at his stomach. There's one thing about seeing a child die and revive after a gruesome death that Naomasa cannot stand. Murders, decomposing bodies, he can stand those. He's seen them all around him ever since he got into this field.
Their plan went perfectly. Beetle had taken Bakugou to the hideout for a small amount of time so that the news would at least get a shot of them rescuing the boy and not accuse them of leaving the explosive teen there to rot. It was all according to plan. Well, if that plan had included Midoriya getting his heart ripped then yes, all according to plan. As he lays the boy on the stretcher, he knows exactly what he is out cold and shows no signs of waking up any time soon. That isn't all too reassuring. Not one bit. Once the boy is settled, the paramedics place him in the ambulance and speed off.
Naomasa drives Bakugou back to the nearest hospital—the same hospital that the speeding ambulance they're behind is heading to, the blond is silent as he stares at the vehicle in front of them with a dark and somber expression on his face. "Is something wrong, Bakugou?" questions Detective Tsukauchi as he spares the boy a glance. He seems oddly quiet for someone who yells a lot. Then again, this has been a traumatic experience for the both of them. They all have gone through harsh times, so it would make sense that the blond isn't acting the same as he usually would.
The boy doesn't answer. His glazed eyes are set on the vehicle in front of them and on the vehicle only, deep in thought. Whatever he's thinking about, Tsukauchi won't find out any time soon. The detective settles for the silence but it does not stay that way as he would've thought. "He died again, didn't he?" he whispers so softly that Naomasa almost didn't hear him. "The nerd, he died again."
"From what I saw, yes." This night and the past few days have been heartwrenching (Naomasa winces at that poor word choice when his mind is filled with images of the cavity in Midoriya's chest) and mindnumbing. So many questions and plans, it all fried the detective's brain but it was all for the safety of everyone. The documents that Beetle had been able to find is going to be a key role in the upcoming future. Tsukauchi tightens his grip on the steering wheel, deciding to ask. "How much do you know about that exactly? I don't think we covered your knowledge on his inexplicable inability to die."
"Just that he's immortal apparently and that it caused his eyes to turn into the way they are." Bakugou tears his gaze away from the vehicle to stare at the detective with a knowing glare. For another moment, he does not say anything. His scrutinizing gaze is only on Naomasa as he gathers his thoughts. Finally, after a few minutes, he finally speaks, "There's more to it, isn't there? Something about all of this is linked to the bitch, Crimson Artist and to those two bastard men that came and said something about death. All of that shit has something to do with fucking Deku's so-called immortality, doesn't it?"
Naomasa tenses for a split second before forcing himself to calm down by tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. He is not going to say anything, that much he knows. He just has to make sure not to give anything away and he'll be fine. The boy sure is quite smart. If he has managed to come up with that, then there is no doubt in the detective that he won't be able to figure out the rest on his own. Even so, he is not going to answer that question. He won't since the blond will have to talk to Midoriya about that himself. "It's not my place to say. That is something you'll have to ask Midoriya about."
"Tch, like the shitty nerd would tell me anything." Bakugou crosses his arms as he turns his attention out of the window, eyes narrowed in a glare while his jaw clenched tightly. "Goddammit, I know that his mom won't be happy about these turn of events. If anything, his shitty dad will be coming to deal with all of this fucking shit."
Naomasa casts a slight glance towards his general direction at the mention of Midoriya's dad. The man who he knows nothing about other than the name of Midoriya Hisashi and his quirk fire-breathing. Midoriya rarely speaks of the man and had believed him to be out of the picture, so it's a surprise for Bakugou to suddenly mention the man. "His dad? He doesn't talk about him much."
"Yeah? And? The damn guy spends his entire time working abroad for his fucking job." Bakugou rubs his forehead as he scoffs. "The terrifying thing is Deku acts the same way as his dad, but his dad is more genuine and ten times worse. If I didn't know the man, I would've thought he was a fucking villain."
Midoriya Hisashi, he thinks with a frown. He should do some research on the man. He hasn't since he hadn't the need to, but now, now with Bakugou's words, something is off.
"The guy hates everyone except for his family. So if you meet him, well, you have my fucking condolences."
Naomasa doesn't like that and he decides on not speaking. The light rain pelts the windshield, breaking the only silence that they have the entire way to the hospital. The howling wind grows louder and louder, screaming for something that it lost and hasn't found, wailing harshly for the sorrow it feels. Naomasa can't help but feel for the wind for it has been around for so long and seen so much that it won't be able to forget. He pulls into one of the parking spaces and escorts Bakugou into the building, heading to the boy's room. "You'll be fine here, yes? I have to make a few calls and then head back to the scene."
"All Might, he'll be fine, right?"
He purses his lips, closing his eyes as he leans against the wall of the boy's room. "I'm not sure," he murmurs as he takes off his hat and runs a hand through his dark and wet hair with a sigh. "Toshinori is always like this. It's been fated—this battle anyway. I'm not sure how it ends. I must leave now." He walks out of the room before the blond can question further, his eyes set straight ahead as he walks with his hands in his pockets. Naomasa passes the sign that points to the general direction of the ER room—the room where they had taken Midoriya to make sure he didn't have any more life-threatening wounds. For a brief second, he glances towards it but he forces himself to leave, not allowed to go until everything is checked up and until he has received word from the doctor.
Glancing at the clock, he notices it's only 9:05 p.m. and starts calling Midoriya Inko. She isn't who answers. "Hello?" The voice is male and too deep to be the plump woman who raised a problematic child.
"Hello, is Midoriya Inko there?"
"This is her husband, Midoriya Hisashi. Who is this?"
* * *
The building isn't what Tomura would call a great place to be, but it is better than staying out in the rain. The drizzle that albeit it being early August, warm weather, the water is bone-chillingly cold. Shigaraki is staring at Kurogiri who is speaking with Dabi and Spinner. The man is pacing and fidgeting, his red eyes sweeping across the building they're hiding in. His mind is on Sensei and Midoriya Izuku. He scratches harshly at his neck as he watches the news. The teen gouged out his eye again and a mist spilled out of it. Tomura doesn't like that at all. He knows what it means—but this doesn't seem to be like the last time. Gold instead of purple. A dome surrounded them and they couldn't see what was happening.
The thing that catches their attention is the figure being thrown out of the dome. The figure of Midoriya Izuku who lands in a heap after hitting the building. Something is up, no way All Might would've been able to do that. Sensei. But why? questions Tomura with a frown. As he thinks, he rolls his eyes, figuring out the answer. The rat must've finally shown his true intentions, helping the heroes is all he will ever do. Hikawa was right in telling him to not trust that son of a bitch.
One particular image was shown. The dome shatters into dust and the audience can see All For One standing there with something in his hand. All Might had been reduced into nothing but a skeletal man while staring in horror at his greatest enemy. There's something wrong though. There's something wrong with the picture.
Midoriya Izuku is not there.
The brat that fooled his team, earned information and learned how they fight. There is one thing Shigaraki Tomura (Shimura Tenko) doesn't underestimate and that is the boy's analytical skill. He has seen what the boy can do, he has seen how well of a strategist the boy is. If Shigaraki knows anything, he knows that Midoriya had gotten away with critical information.
"Well, that boy is just a slippery worm, don't you think?"
"Hikawa," he says calmly—too calmly. "You had one job!" He whips around and lashes out at the red-headed woman, hitting her in the face with a satisfying smack! Red eyes filled with rage and disdain meet wide, fearful hazel eyes. "You could've killed him! You had the chance so why? Huh? Why didn't you fucking kill him? You stupid bitch!"
"Tomura," warns Kurogiri, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That's enough."
Hikawa regains her composure. "I do have amazing news though. He goes blind in a moment of extreme panic and terror."
Intriguing. Tomura grins sinisterly as he turns back to the screen where it shows All Might and Sensei fighting. His eyes are trained on the screen as he watches their facial expressions. They are speaking with each other, and from what Tomura can read, it's nothing good for the number one hero. "Anything on them?"
"From what I've seen, they're both destined to die."
Tomura scowls, scratching furiously at his neck; he leaves red streaks on his pale skin. He mutters, pacing to and fro. His jaw is clenched as he thinks, tapping his fingers. "Is it possible to keep one of them from dying?"
Hikawa barks out a laugh, shaking her head as if she found his question hilarious—which she did. She rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she turns away from him. "Unless you want to deal with the consequences of unbalancing not only Death but Fate and Life, then no. The most one can do is if the three Personas agree to it."
Tomura glares at the screen, watching the number one hero deliver the final blow. All Might is left standing, swaying in his place. For a moment, it's all silent. Nothing—no one is moving. He yells out a curse as he slammed his hand down, the table shaking on its legs from the fierce force.
All Might—the cursed number one hero—lifts his arm in victory. He won.
* * *
Aizawa is in the hospital where some of his students lay in bed, comatose from the gas. The villain known as Mustard has a quirk that deals with a sort of knockout gas which led to his students and most of the 1-B students to be in these temporary comas. Not only did the villains take two of his students, but they also took Ragdoll and Mandalay. His guess is because of their quirks. None of the students know about it, neither does the media and they're planning on keeping it that way. There is no reason for anyone to know about two pro heroes being taken otherwise the press will have a field day about that. Two pro heroes had been kidnapped alongside with two students.
He glances at the door where a small knock comes from. The person outside doesn't give him a chance to say a word. They open the door and reveal themselves to be Pixie Bob and Kota. Tiger was the only one to go on the rescue mission, leaving Pixie Bob to watch Mandalay's nephew. "Any word on Midoriya?" questions the boy who is staring at him with wide, worry-filled tears eyes. The five-year-old's bottom lip trembles.
"Not yet. I should receive word soon," he responds, kneeling down to Kota's height. He places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Go with Pixie Bob to your hotel room. I'm sure Tiger will send a message to Pixie Bob if he found your aunt and Ragdoll. But first, you need to rest."
Kota wraps his arms around him in a tight hug. "You're going to receive a call soon," he whispers, reminding him of what he said at the camp during the attack.
"A hospital? You're visiting someone. Wait! It's not just one. Multiple people. I think—I think it's the students. They're alive, but there's something else. 10:40? I can't tell if it's night or morning. Your phone rings."
"There's something wrong," he whispers, his hold on the underground hero tightening. "The battle between All For One and All Might, it won't end well."
Eraserhead sighs as he nods and pulls away. He glances at the blonde in the cat costume with a look. "He should rest. It's been a long week." The blonde gives him a small frown, taking the boy away. I hope you're right, Eraser. The boy has been through enough already.
The clock reads 10:40 when he receives a phone call. The underground hero closes his eyes as he answers, "Eraserhead speaking."
"It's Tsukauchi. Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki are both safe and both of them are at Kamino Regional."
Eraserhead would've died a long time ago if he wasn't as perceptive as he is now. He can tell by the way the man speaks, the tone he has isn't good. He knows there's something not right. "Is something wrong?"
"Midoriya Hisashi—Izuku's father—is coming and from what Bakugou Katsuki told me, it may not lead to anything good. If you can, please come here as quickly as you can to deal with him. The police and I are going to be too busy to even speak to him Also, Toshinori is being submitted here so if you get the chance, slap him upside the head for me if he wakes up." If. Not when. If. The man may die. That much has been spelled out to them.
Shouta sighs as he glances at his students with a frown on his face. He hates this so much. He hates villains and their constant attacks against his students. He hears a commotion coming from the other line. "Tsukauchi? Is something wrong?"
Naomasa stays silent as he grunts and listens to the doctors. "It's Toshinori."
"What is going on? Is he alright?" No response. That isn't good. "Tsukauchi. I swear, Tsukauchi, answer me. What is going on?"
The next voice he hears isn't Tsukauchi's. The voice is female and full of urgency. Two words, yelled with fear and a hint of anger, echoing through his head. They dance and galavant across his mind, finding fun and amusement in his torture.
"He's flatlining!"
No outtakes in this chapter. Sorry y'all. Dang, I can't believe Toshinori is dead. Death, play "Never gonna give you up". XD I'm a terrible person.
Also, surprise next chapter. Hope y'all are ready bitches. :)
Questions? comments?