Chapter 298 - 34

Chapter 34

Izuku opened his eyes, awakening from a deep and dreamless sleep with the sun shining through the windows. Had it not been for the hair that was in his mouth, he probably would have remained asleep. For some reason, his body felt extra sore. It wanted to rest, to just lie there for as long as possible. And, right now, as Izuku stared up at the ceiling, he was inclined to do so. Maybe it was because of how he was feeling right now, but his bed felt a million times softer while also surrounding him in the most comfortable warmth. So, yeah, Izuku was going to go back to sleep just after he removed this from his mouth.

Closing his eyes, Midoriya lifted his arm to do so. Or, rather, he tried and failed. In fact, he was now aware that there was something on his arms. With a feeling of deja vu, the teen opened his eyes fully so he could completely take in his surroundings. What he saw caused his eyes to widen comically. He was sleeping, not in his own bed back in his family's apartment, but the 'Love Motel' styled room at the fancy hotel on I-Island. Specifically, the heart-shaped bed where he was in the middle and surrounded by his sleeping friends. His sleeping female friends!

Izuku's eyes began to spiral as he looked to find where they all were. Itsuka was sleeping to his left this time, her forehead resting close to his own, with her soft body pressing against his own. While they had been asleep, somehow his arm had wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. What made this all worse was that she was clad only in her underwear: fancy teal lingerie that he had assumed she had worn for the party. To his right was Himiko. Like with Itsuka, she was wearing lingerie that had just enough crimson fabric and black laces to cover the most important parts. Though it was close. He noticed that the girl's messy buns were undone, making it impossible for him not to think she looked adorable even though she was nibbling on his shoulder in her sleep.

Looking down, he saw Tsutsumi. The girl had her arms wrapped around his waist, he resting comfortably on his lower chest. A slight squeak escaped his throat as he noticed that she was no longer wearing the white sports bra and skin tight short that he had found her in. Now she was wearing underwear that looked like she had borrowed from Toga that just loosely fit her. And she wasn't the only one down there. Nestled between his legs and Himiko's body was Pony, lying on her side. Her arms clung to his leg, pushing her breasts, which were covered in blue lingerie that had star-shaped patterns, against his limb.

As Izuku's thoughts spiraled, he felt something suddenly pressing against the side of his head. Something large and soft. Slowly, he looked up, and what he saw nearly made his heart burst from his chest. It was Melissa! For some reason, she was lying above him with her large breasts now pressing against his head! She was wearing only her underwear like the rest of the girls, though looked a bit more casual. Just a basic red bra and matching panties.

"How did this happen?" whispered Izuku, fearful that if he woke the girls, they would be angry with him. Either because of how exposed they all were in this moment, or the fact that they were all so close to him.

Thankfully, by this time, the shock of the situation he found himself in had begun to lessen and allowed his brain to boot back up. All while ignoring Albion, who had gone back to making a blue screen noise.

From what he recalled, after he had managed to talk Tsustumi out of killing Dr. Shield, the last of his adrenaline had been used, and his body seemed to refuse to give him any more. The same went for the others as the weight of everything they had been doing finally came crashing down on them. He remembered seeing the teachers of U.A. arriving on the scene, Nurse Asia getting to work healing all of them with her Sacred Gear, and Nezu telling them to get some rest. That they would talk later once they had gotten a few hours of sleep. A part of Izuku tried to fight how tired he was, wanting to argue that they could stay and help. Especially when he saw Lunch Rush setting up an emergency kitchen. But Nezu and Vlad King insisted, to which his body agreed.

He didn't recall how he and the girls got back to their room. The only thing he knew was that they were all dragging their feet as they shambled into the room. Tsutsumi was with them since she didn't have anywhere to go and wanted to make sure she was safe. Also with them was Melissa, as she didn't want to go home, not to a place that held so many memories of her father. No one argued with this, nor did anyone make a big fuss about undressing in front of each other. They were all too tired to worry about such things. They just shed the remains of their dress cloths before piling into bed with Tsutsumi saying she was barrowing something to wear.

"Ok, so nothing happened," whispered Izuku, though despite his words, his heart was still beating fast and his eyes were spiraling. "We just slept in the same bed. In our underwear."

"Sleep," whispered Himiko, still slightly nibbling on his shoulder. "Go back to sleep. Don't fight this."

"Himiko," whispered Izuku, feeling tempted by her words. To just close his eyes, relax, and just embrace the feeling of warmth all around him. But was that ok? The only reason they were in this position was because they had been all too tired to think straight. So would it be ok for him to take advantage of the situation, no matter how nice it felt? He didn't want to cross a line with the people who mattered most to him.

Thankfully, the situation resolved itself pretty quickly. Tsutsumi woke up, placing her hands on Izuku's chest in order to push herself up and into a kneeling position between the teenage boy's legs. Both Midoriya and Toga were unable to take their eyes off her as she then stretched her arms, making that yawning kitten noise again as her bra almost dipped too low for Izuku's comfort.

"That was a good night's sleep," she said while still kneeling, swaying slightly as she lowered her arms. "Softest pillow I've had in years." Both Izuku and Himiko looked at her. Then they looked at Izuku's chest. Then back to her.

"Oh, you're going to fit in nicely," said Himiko, a Cheshire smile appearing on her face.

"Himiko!" Izuku cried out, his face turning red for reasons he didn't fully understand. As his voice echoed through the room, the sound stirred the other girls to awaken. Groggily, they opened their eyes and looked around. After a moment or two, they, like Izuku, realized the situation they were in before bolting up. With faces burning red, all of the girls, save Himiko and Tsutsumi, covered themselves with the blanket while Izuku moved to sit on the floor with his back facing them. All to ensure he didn't look anymore than he already had.

"I'm sorry," he said. Honestly, this was worse than the first time they had found themselves in bed together. At least the first night they had been in their sleepwear!

"Everyone, let's just stay calm," came Kendo's 'Big Sister' voice. While she sounded like she was doing her best to hold herself together, Izuku could make out a slight tremble in her tone. "Nothing happened. I think we can all agree that yesterday was more than a little intense. When we got here, none of us were thinking clearly. All we wanted to do was crawl into bed. And that's all we did. So nothing bad happened that we should be mad at anyone, right?"

"I'm not mad," came Pony's voice along with the sounds of something shifting on the bed. Like she was swaying slightly. "Not at all, really. Just that I feel more, ah, embarrassed than the last time this happened. Not that I'm blaming anyone here for what happened."

"Seriously?" was Himiko's response as she walked around the room, staying just outside of Izuku's sight. "Come on. All we did was take a nap with the guy. No need to get so worked up about it. Besides, weren't we planning on going down to the beach with him? Pressing our barely covered bodies against his or laying at the beach, asking him to rub sunscreen on our backs while removing out-" Himiko was cut off as a pillow collided with her head, knocking the blonde down onto the floor.

"That's enough of that from you," panted Itsuka, making it clear to Izuku that she had thrown the pillow. Probably using her quirk to do so.

"Ok," came a much more panicked voice from Melissa. "Ok. I just need to get a grip. I just woke up in a bed with a guy and several girls I just met this weekend. Not that I regret it or anything. It wasn't unpleasant. We just slept. So maybe I just need to think of this as a sleepover?"

The only one who didn't say anything was Tsutsumi, who went into the bathroom and found a robe. Her silence confused Izuku slightly as he recalled how she had reacted when she had realized what had been done to her. Being knocked out, stripped down by men, experimented on, and would have been killed by those very same men should have caused her to panic a bit more in this situation. Or, at least, that's how he would have felt if the situation were reversed. Instead, she just seemed cool-headed. After pondering it for a moment, Izuku came to a few conclusions. Either she felt safe enough with him to let down her guard, given everything they had been through together or she was just doing her best to just believe in someone again. Well, it could also be that she slept with one eye open, ready to protect herself should the worst happen and that's why she was so calm.

"What's this?" came Tsutsumi's voice. Izuku looked up…only to then wish he hadn't. Tsutsumi had opened up a dresser, no doubt looking for something to wear other than the robe which was so short that it stopped just above her knees. However, instead of finding something else to wear, she had found something else. And was holding a certain adult toy up in the air for all to see.

"Y-You're serious?" Melissa managed to say, her voice distant and filled to the brim with embarrassment.

Tsutsumi turned to her, tilting her head so that her cheek was pressed against the toy. "Why would I joke?" she asked. "Most of my life followed strict training, followed by going to prison. I only know what they taught me. Well, for the most part. My parents taught me a few things before all that. I'm guessing this is something new?"

Izuku didn't have the heart to tell her no, that toy wasn't something new. It was something that no parent would ever tell their children about. And he had a feeling that the rest of the girls, except one, were thinking the same thing. The lone exception, Himiko, just began to cackle on the floor.

After Itsuka took the toy from Tsutsumi's grasp, holding it with two fingers before placing it back into the drawer like it was radioactive waste, she promised to tell the former assassin what it was later. From there, the group did their best to get ready for the day without looking at each other until they were all dressed. The hero students did not get changed into their hero costumes, nor did they prepare for the beach as they had originally planned, as too much of the day had been wasted. In just a matter of hours, they would need to be heading back to the airport.

As for the non-hero students, things were a bit tricky. Both Melissa and Tsutsumi looked around the room searching for anything they could wear. The pair checked the closet, any cabinet, and eventually the other drawers. They did eventually find some outfits…but what they found was not the type of thing young people should wear out in public. Even Midnight's original costume back when she debuted as a hero was conservative compared to what they found! In the end, Melissa gave up looking and none of the others' clothing was a good fit for her. So she just put her hero costume back on.

Tsutsumi, on the other hand, refused to put the outfit Dr. Shield had put on her. In the end, she decided she'd just wear the robe until she got to the gift shop and found something to wear there.

Then, right before they could head out, Izuku's phone rang. It was from the hotel, informing him that the heroes wanted him to see them and his other guests in a conference room on the ground floor.

"I wonder what that's about," said Izuku as he and the girls left their hotel room.

"Maybe they want to thank us for saving the day," suggested Melissa, no longer sounding as flustered or embarrassed as she had when they woke up. "We did kind of save the island."

"You guys did," said Pony in a disheartened voice, her posture slumping as they made their way towards the elevator. "I passed out after taking down a few robots."

Itsuka made a face at that. "Pony, you did a lot more than take down a 'few robots'. You probably, single-handedly, took down hundreds. Maybe even thousands, so that we could make it to Melissa's lab. If it hadn't been for all of your hard work, we might not have been able to get to the Vault in time to discover what was really going on. Trust me, your efforts were invaluable." As Kendo said this, she hung back a little so she was walking next to Pony so that she could then wrap an arm around the blonde's shoulder. An act that perked her right up.

"She's right, Pony," added Izuku. "You really went Plus Ultra out there."

"You're the cutest automatic weapon out there, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," cheered Himiko as she raised her hands above her head.

"I think it would be more likely that they want to assign us to help in the clean-up effort," said Itsuka, getting the group back on topic. "There's probably a lot left to do, and they'll need as many hands. They probably set up some sort of command post in the conference room and will be sending us to places where our skills can be put where they're needed most."

"Great, back to taking orders," grumbled Tsutsumi as they entered the elevator. Then she sighed. "Though I suppose it won't be as bad as before."

-x-

"How did you sleep uncle?" asked Fuyumi as Hisashi Midoriya exited the bathroom. Despite having only slept for a few hours, the man seemed to have a bit more of a spring in his step. While he was still wearing the same tattered second-hand clothes, he had gained a fresher aura. That and the bags under his eyes had faded slightly.

"It's sad that sleeping on that cot was the most comfortable bed I've slept on in years," he said with a laugh, though he did not miss the worried expression on Fuyumi's face. Or how Natsuo, who was still in the bathroom, did a spit take with his mouth full of toothpaste suds.

Currently, he was in the Todoroki siblings' hotel room at the Gremory Plaza as his own hotel had been destroyed the night prior. While he didn't know the full details, something big had crashed into the roof before crashing down into the two rooms below it. As far as he knew, his small bag was pretty much buried under a ton of cheap building supplies. Thankfully, he had been found by Fuyumi and Natsuo, who offered him to stay in their room as their father had his own room. And the hotel was more than willing to provide him with a cot.

Now, standing in the slightly cramped bedroom, Hisashi felt a peace flowing through him he hadn't known in years. Honestly, he had forgotten what it was like to feel…content. To be at peace with himself. That and to have a basket of fresh muffins brought to their room.

"Well, that's…good," said Fuyumi slowly as the man grabbed another blueberry muffin. Made with some of the biggest blueberries he had ever seen in his life. "Sorry, our plans for dinner got canceled. I was really looking forward to catching up with you."

Hisashi didn't respond at first, just raising a finger as he finished devouring the muffin. "Same," he said before swallowing. "But it's probably for the best. I need to find Izuku. It's well past time we sat down to talk. A real talk." He then paused, giving Fuyumi a soft smile while wiping away some of the muffin that was stuck to the corner of his lip. "Hey, it's not like we're never going to see each other again for another ten years. This time, I'm going to stay in touch more often. We can video chat every now and again."

Hearing that, Fuyumi's face lit up with joy. No doubt imagining some sort of grand family reconciliation. Natsuo, who was exiting the bathroom, wore a frown.

"Sure you're going to have time to do that?" he asked. "Time isn't really on your side with the whole 'island getting attacked by some kid drunk on power' thing. Don't you have to work and, ah, find that…pleasant woman you were with?"

At that, both Hisashi and Fuyumi groaned in unison. Hisashi didn't need to check his phone to know that Abysswell had sent him multiple messages, telling him to investigate everything about the attack while leaving out the parts saying 'try to find any breach of contract so we can deny their claims'. Though there would be a lot left unsaid. Hisashi was pretty sure that, no matter what, the company would have to pay out big time. Something that would result in the higher-ups becoming particularly prickly towards him, if not downright hostile. Knowing them, they were probably already starting to make his life a nightmare by canceling his flight back to the States and not providing him with a hotel during his stay. Meaning he would be stuck here for the foreseeable future, and be homeless! Which was great, just great.

Thinking about that caused Hisashi's peaceful mode to vanish. He really, really wanted to quit. To leave this job behind and somehow salvage his marriage, and to start building a relationship with his son. To at least be there for him during his high school years and spend some more time with his wife. But, if he did that, the odds of him getting such a high-paying job again that would support his family were next to nothing. Meaning that their nice apartment and Izuku's education would be at risk. So, unless something magically fell into his lap, he was stuck with Abysswell.

The only bright spot was that Ms. Pan was still missing. As far as he knew, ever since her little episode the previous night, no one had seen her. They had found the people she beat up, but her whereabouts were still unknown. Though eventually he would have to go look for her.

Maybe he could start next week?

"Work can wait," sighed Hisashi with a bit of a smile on his face. "At least until after Izuku's flight leaves. And, hopefully, I'll be able to avoid speaking with Enji for-" Hisashi was cut off as he got a new call on his phone. Not a text or an email, but an actual call. Pulling out his phone, he answered it. Apparently, he was being asked to head down to the conference room as the heroes wanted to speak to him.

-x-

Meanwhile, All Might sat in his darkened room at the Overlooked Motel. Despite the damage that the building had received due to the villain's attack, his room had been spared and was still usable. For the most part. Due to the poor condition of the hotel before the attack took place, the additional damage caused by the villain made staying here more inconvenient. The Internet was as non-existent as running water. It was honestly a miracle that the lights were working, though that could change at any moment as he spotted them flickering several times during the night.

All Might, however, ignored all of it as he sat on his bed hunched over with his fingers steepled. His costume, something that David had made for him, lay on the floor in a crumbled heap while bandages covered most of his body. The Twilight Saint could have completely healed him when she arrived, but All Might had insisted that she only take care of his most serious injuries for now before moving on to others. He could deal with his pain until everyone else had been treated. It's what he deserved for failing so hard.

Yes, All Might had failed in so many ways. It was the only thing he could think about as he sat in silence and without sleeping a wink. His mind just kept replaying everything on an endless loop, pointing out how much he had failed to live up to being the Symbol of Peace.

David was the most obvious failure of them all. When he had left, they were still looking into the depths of what Dr. Shield had been doing. But even the fraction that All Might was aware of was already too great a burden. As was his reason for doing this. That David couldn't imagine a world without him? Did that mean that, had he never confided in his friend about his injury to seek his help, this never would have happened? Or did that mean that because he had never told him the whole truth, he had passed on his quirk to a worthy successor, that this could have been prevented? Well, regardless, David had done all this because he was worried about the future of the world.

That thought spiraled into another line of thought. Had he shone so bright a light upon himself that the rest of the world couldn't compete with? That when he was gone, there might be others out there that feared for the future just like David had? All Might had Young Kirishima, ready to one day take up that spot. But was that the right choice? Wasn't he just replacing one bright light with another? And how would people react in the time between All Might stepping down and Young Kirishima's rise to the top?

"Well, I don't think I have to worry about that too much," All Might had said, thinking on the one bright part of the night with a smile. He had witnessed the other heroes standing up to a villain who had so much power. Not just heroes like Endeavor and the Kamen Corps, but also the new generation. Young Kirishima had helped, to which he was very proud of, but so had others. Those young heroes from America, they had united with his students to try and stop things from escalating. And while they hadn't succeeded, they had managed to capture several powerful villains without taking a life. As for his own students, he couldn't be prouder. Young Toga had proved herself capable of fighting a serious battle without killing another, showing restraint as well as the ability to control her bloodlust while Kendo made sure to get in a few good hits on Wolfram.

But the most awe-inspiring moment for All Might was with Young Midoriya, Young Melissa, and the young man in white. The three of them had worked together to finally end the nightmare. Doing what the rest of the heroes were unable to do. If there were anyone else worthy of the title of Symbol of Peace, it would have been them.

Yet, as All Might thought of them, his mood soured as he was reminded of another one of his failures. What he had said to Young Melissa and Young Midoriya, as well as how eerily similar they were to what Rockback had said.

Normally, All Might would have dismissed the words of a villain so vile as Rockback. That he was just another fool who was spouting nonsense in order to justify his actions. However, that all changed when he spoke of a pecking order that was decided upon people by birth. How that sounded so very much like what he had told Young Midoriya, how everyone had a place in this society when he was trying to convince the young hero in training to take back what he said at the Sports Festival.

Then, All Might began to think about it some more. About how someone like Rockback could come up with an ideology like that. The sad thing was that it wasn't hard. For some time now, All Might himself believed that only people with a strong quirk could become a hero. That others, those with weaker or no quirk, should be relegated to occupations like firefighters or policemen if they really wanted to help. In fact, if he had met Young Midoriya back when the lad thought he was quirkless, he would have told him to give up on his dreams. And, if he had done that, then U.A. might have lost a promising young hero. And the tech Melissa made for herself. What would have happened if he pressured her further to give up on her dream? Would she have smashed it to bits before the battle, taking out valuable equipment?

The sad truth was that he wasn't alone in thinking this. He had seen far too many people these days praising the younger generation whenever they spotted a powerful and flashy quirk, instantly propping them up as future heroes. He could even see it in some of his students, like Young Bakugo. People believed that because of their quirk, they were destined to become great heroes. Then, he recalled something he had told Young Kirishima when they started training. About how, at one point, civil service had been at the cornerstone of being a hero. But that was no longer praised. It was all about the flash, the bang, the fight! And he was the architect of it all. He was the one who had done the most to guide society in this direction by showing off the might of his quirk. How many good people had they failed to notice, weak people who wanted to do good, just because they weren't molded in power since the day they were born?

As All Might's thoughts wandered towards society as a whole, he clutched at his chest as he recalled what that purple-haired girl had said. About how it was a lie, that she had been one of the people eliminating false heroes and powerful villains just to maintain the illusion of a perfect society. All Might had denied it at first, refusing to believe that any government would order something like that. But the protests died as quickly as they were formed. It wasn't impossible, and he would be naïve to think otherwise. Then there was the girl herself. Everything about her, from the look in her eyes to the way she stood, told him she was telling the truth. That she had taken many, many lives.

What happened to her was his fault. He might not have been the one giving orders, but he played a part. Maybe it was because he set the bar so high. Maybe it was because he took down so many crimes that it made other heroes desperate. Maybe it was because he made it look so easy that others came in. Or maybe it was because he was trying to handle all of society on his own that few other heroes got to feel the weight of that responsibility.

Then, All Might's thoughts would loop back to David to begin the process all over again. That was how Japan's Number One Hero spent his morning, just sitting there without getting any rest.

All Might knew he needed to fix this massive mess, and he needed to do it sooner rather than later. Specifically, before he retired. It would be wrong of him to hand over all these problems to the next generation of heroes. But the question, the big question, was: how?

Before the Symbol of Peace could even begin to grasp the scope of the problem, a device on his nightstand began to buzz. With tired eyes, All Might glanced over at the device that looked so much like one of the holo recorders that the school used to send out students' acceptance letters. Only, this device was a bit special. The Twilight Saint had given it to him, saying the I-Island Council wanted him to have this special communication device just in case they needed him or if he needed to contact anyone on the island. As far as he knew, he was the only one to receive this, which made him sick to his stomach. Even now, people looked to him as the go-to person for their troubles. Honestly, Hyoudou should have kept it. She was needed more than he was.

Sighing, All Might reached over to press a button. Instantly, a holographic screen appeared above it. In the middle of the screen were the words 'I-Island Detention Center' while below it was an option to make this a video call. All Might left that alone, naturally.

"Hello, All Might," came David's voice, causing the pro hero to stiffen.

"So, you're using your one phone call to talk to me. Not Melissa," All Might growled.

"I've hurt her too much," said David, sounding choked up. "There's a good chance that as soon as she realized it was me, she'd hang up. I…I doubt I would have been able to keep it together after that."

"Oh?" replied All Might, his voice rising. "You're just now realizing that your actions hurt her?! Just now, when all is said and done?! What did you think was going to happen when she learned how you helped villains sneak into I-Island, round them up, and were going to hand out advanced technology to more villains?"

"I thought she'd understand in time," said Dr. Shield, sounding utterly defeated. "I thought I could handle her disdain. But the reality is so much worse than I could ever have imagined. That, along with the destruction that just one device caused. Made all the worse knowing that it was all for nothing. All Might, did you know that the entire fight was being broadcast across the planet?"

"Yes, but that's the least of my worries," said All Might as he felt a flicker of distress within his soul. Was aware that the entire world had seen the fight and had a good idea what was going through so many people's minds as more of the story unfolded. Why did it take All Might so long to act? Where did All Might go after the battle with the villain began? However, he had more pressing concerns to deal with. For this, he hoped that Nezu could whip up some cover story for him.

"All I can say is this: I'm sorry," said David.

"…Thank you for saying that," began All Might. "But I can't forgive you. I don't know if I ever will. You didn't just commit horrible crimes against I-Island. You betrayed me, the ideals we held, and, worst of all, you betrayed my niece! Her mother is probably rolling around in her grave right now." All Might paused for a moment in order to rein in his anger. And when he spoke next, he did his best to sound neutral. "So, what are your options going forward?"

"Well, none really," said David, sounding tired. "I spent far too much of my fortune on my project to hire a competent lawyer. But that's assuming that I'm going to defend myself. No, I'm accepting whatever punishment I'm given. Considering all the destruction, the lives I took, and the death of that little girl, I'm looking at life with no chance at parole."

All Might lifted his head a little at that. "That little girl. Has anyone been able to reach her parents?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"…No," sighed David, causing All Might's heart to drop. "According to Miss Drop, her parents sold her to the woman's boss in order to pay off their debts. Since then, they used her quirk in order to avoid sending their people to the hospital and instead transfer all their injuries onto her. Bullet wounds, burns, dog bites, aftereffects of drugs, and the list goes on."

"It must have been a nightmare for her," said All Might as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes, tears already leaking. "I heard that one of the American hero students had been killed. She must have been the one to revive him. Do you think that she did it to escape?"

"Maybe," said David with a sniffle. "I haven't been told much, but I heard that the two hero students who were first fighting Rockback the first time saved her for a brief moment before he, well, stabbed his brother right through the chest. That's all I know. So maybe she saw death as the only way out. Maybe she wanted to repay him for trying to help."

"Or, maybe it was a little of both," said All Might, silently vowing to contact some of his friends in the States to find the parents who sold their daughter to those villains.

"All Might," said David after a moment of silence. "I didn't just call you to apologize. I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But I'm still going to. Please, watch over Melissa for me."

Despite everything, All Might managed to smile. "Did you really think I would have done otherwise?" he said. Then, before he could say anything else, he received an urgent call from Nezu. One that shocked him.

The head of the HPSC was on the island.

-x-

"What you did was completely unnecessary!" barked some hero in a blue skintight suit with pointy sunglasses as he stuck a finger towards Izuku. The pro hero towered over him, muscles bulging while spittle shot out of his mouth.

This…was not what Izuku had expected when he came to the conference room. The moment he had entered the conference room, which was a truly massive room with crimson carpeted floors and onyx marble walls, there was an unnerving tension of dread in the air. Greeting them at the door had been the hero in blue, standing there with several other heroes who all had their arms crossed over their chests. Without saying a word, the blue hero pointed to a group of uncomfortable-looking plastic chairs in the middle of the room where his father was already seated. Somehow, he seemed smaller, which was probably the point of doing this in this room. To make them feel as small as humanly possible without using a quirk. Still, Izuku and his friends sat down while being under the glaring eyes of the pro heroes, with his father being to his right and Itsuka being on his left.

For several long minutes, they sat there in silence until the door opened again. This time it was the Detroit Mercy students, dressed more casually today instead of their normal hero attire. Gel was wearing what looked like a Victorian-style, button-up blouse and tight black pants. Behind her was Andrew, who didn't seem to have Angel out and was instead wearing a black shirt with a fox on it, reading a book that said 'Escaping from the Real World' along with carpenter pants. Hydro Claw was wearing a light blue shirt that looked like he had personally ripped off the sleeves and khaki shorts. Elven Prince had on an expensive-looking green, button up short sleeved shirt and long khaki pants. Lastly, Lady Sting was wearing a grey, single-shoulder sundress. Like with Izuku and company, they were silently ordered to take a seat. Though as they moved, Izuku noticed that all of the American students were looking more at Andrew. Even when they sat down.

Once they had been seated, the pro heroes moved towards them as a group, and the shouting began. The hero in blue had been doing most of it while the others seemed content to just stand in the back and glare accusingly at the group.

"There was no need for any of you to put yourselves in danger," the blue hero continued, his eyes shifting over the group. "None of you are actual heroes. Nothing more than wet behind the ear, diaper-wearing babies. No doubt you all got full of yourselves thinking that just because you got into some good schools, that means you're top shit. That the rules don't apply to you. Well, guess what? You are all wrong! And we are going to drive that lesson home, drilling it into your heads until it sticks!" He then glanced over at the Detroit Mercy students. "I'm sorry. Am I boring you?"

"No," replied Lady Sting as she pulled herself away from looking at Andrew to look at the hero.

"Then why are you not paying attention to me?" demanded the blue hero, sounding angrier. "What is so special about that shit stain? Well?"

"Dude, it's been so long since we've seen his real face," replied Hydro Claw as he continued to stare at Andrew. Turning around to look at the teen bounded to an alien, Izuku saw that Andrew was sinking into his seat from the embarrassment.

"Plus, he kind of died," added Gel, surprising the other heroes. Turning to face the heroes, he could see the confusion and the concern in some of the heroes. But not the blue hero who just sneered at that.

"Wait, he…died?" asked one of the heroes in the back.

"Yeah," said Gel as she looked sick as she began to recall the memory. "A big hole in the chest kind of does that to a person. I literally saw his heart stop beating." At that, the heroes turned to look at Andrew to give him a once-over.

"…I got better? Haha?" laughed Andrew in a nervous tone. Though he didn't sound scared. More like he knew how difficult it was to convince the pros. Then, he took a deep breath. "Look, we saw all the heroes had been captured. Our goal was to sneak into the control room and release everyone at once while turning the security systems back to their original settings. We knew the-"

"What the hell were any of you thinking?" interrupted the hero in blue. "Do any of you understand how much danger you put yourselves in? What would you have done if the villains began shooting the hostages in order to make a point? Well?"

"Ah, well, we never thought of-" began Izuku, only to stop when he received a sudden blow to the side of the head from the blue hero. It wasn't a hard blow, but it did almost knock him out of his chair. As he righted himself, Izuku noticed two things: his father tensing and Himiko being held back by the others.

"Of course you weren't thinking!" spat the hero while the others looked a little smug. "Nothing going on in those empty little heads of yours. Just wanted to get a chance to show off, put on some tights, and pretend to be a hero. Didn't consider the lives of anyone else, did you?"

"Don't you dare speak to my son that way!" snapped Hisashi as he stood up, his cheap chair being pushed back as he did. "And if I see you strike him again like that, there will be consequences!"

"Oh?" replied the blue hero in a mocking tone as he slowly turned to look at Hisashi. "Feeling a bit braver after that little stunt you pulled with that kid…Matchstick?" Izuku blinked, confused by the name the hero had called his father. Even more confused that his dad seemed surprised that the hero knew the name. "Looked you up before calling your sorry ass down here. A failed sidekick who lost his boss's son after he ran away and torched himself. You were smart enough not to show your sorry face back in Japan after that screw-up. Shame the lesson didn't stick."

Upon hearing that, Izuku's eyes widened. His father was a sidekick? The teen turned, ready to ask if this was true and why no one had ever told him. But the words died on his lips as soon as he saw the state his father was in. His hands were balled into fists, which trembled at his side,s while his skin had gone pale. Though when Izuku looked up into his father's eyes, there was white-hot rage inside of them. This didn't go unnoticed by the other heroes, as Izuku noticed that they were looking very uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going.

"Hey, that's going a little too far," said one of the other heroes timidly. But the hero in blue acted like he didn't hear. Instead, he moved closer to Hisashi.

"You know what else, Matchstick?" asked the so-called hero in a tone low enough that only those nearby could hear. "Your kid's a chip off the old block. Stupid. Reckless. Going to get others killed while he plays the hero. And if you're unwilling to fix what's wrong in his empty head, well then, as a hero, it's my job to do it for you. So sit down before you do something we both know you wouldn't be able to run away from." The hero in blue then grinned, showing off all his teeth.

Hisashi, however, did not sit down. Instead, he stared at the so-called hero with bits of flames coming out of his mouth. Then, after a moment, Hisashi smiled back. And it wasn't a kind one.

"At least I'm not some sad, pathetic pretend hero who tucks his tail between his legs and hides at the first sign of real trouble," replied Hisashi, his words causing the so-called hero's smile to vanish. And it wasn't just him who reacted. All of the heroes in the room reacted like they had been backhanded while averting their gazes.

"What?" asked the hero in blue, his voice low and carrying an edge. "I…don't know…"

"I somewhat expected that we would be chastised for what we all did," continued Hisashi. "While using quirks here on I-Island isn't illegal, partaking in hero work is somewhat of a grey area. It's why I sat here, letting you blow your hot air. But the thing is, I don't recall you helping out during the big fight. Any of you." Hisashi then took a step forward, causing the hero to take a step back. "All of you are the cowards who ran and hid, waiting for All Might to save the day for you. And instead of making up for it by helping with the clean up, you're here trying to throw your weight around to the children who had more guts than all of you! Let me guess, you were planning on demoralizing us and then planning on telling everyone in this room to not speak a word about what happened in order to save face."

"You," hissed the blue hero as he pointed a finger in Hisashi's face. "Do you have any idea who you're taking to?" All the confidence and bluster the man had was long gone. Instead, he looked panicked and nervous.

"Honestly? No. And I don't give a damn who you think you are," responded Hisashi while swatting the finger away. "And if you think you can intimidate me with a name or rank, think again. I dealt with Endeavor for years. Trust me, your little tough guy act is nothing more than a police rookie's attempt at being the bad cop." Hisashi then took another step forward and grabbed the hero by his skin-tight suit, holding him in such a way that he couldn't back up. "But, you crossed two lines today. One, you dared to use Toya's death as a weapon against me. And, more importantly, you thought you could lay a hand on my son and get away with it!"

Izuku watched as the so-called hero seethed in rage, his focus completely on Hisashi. Then, a thought crossed his mind. Rather than calling out to the hero in blue, the teen turned his attention to the other heroes.

"Ah, I was wondering," he began, drawing attention from the rest of the room. "Is the rescue and clean-up work finished?" What he saw next disgusted him. All of the other heroes who had just stood back just gave him a questioning look. Like they didn't know what he was talking about. Then, slowly, it dawned on them. But, rather than giving him an affirmative or negative answer, they began ask each other in low voices if they had heard anything. None of them seemed to know anything, making Izuku wonder if they had set foot outside.

"Let me guess," said Tsutsumi in a dark tone. "None of you has even bothered to ask what's going on. Is it because you're too ashamed to show your faces or because the cameras are off and the work isn't worth the pay?"

"What did you say?!" raged the so-called hero in blue, trying to push past Hisashi. However, the older Midoriya held firm. "Why should any of us be out there? Clean up is for the cops and other deadbeats who couldn't make it as a hero."

Hearing that caused tensions to rise all across the room. All of the hero students looked at the so-called hero dressed in blue with revulsion. At the same time, a few of the other heroes took a step back while giving the man a dirty look. One that said 'he doesn't speak for me and I regret being associated with him'. However, there were some heroes who gave him looks of approval. Like what he had said was just a fact of life that everyone should be aware of.

This tension was quickly broken, however, as the doors to the conference room suddenly burst open. And as Izuku realized who had entered, he felt someone else growing tense. Storming into the room was the short, pudgy bald man that Izuku had seen coming out of the alleyway. Only this time, his face looked like it was moving from red to purple in pure rage. He pushed past the heroes as Andrew stood, instinctively raising his arms as he did. This just caused the man to get even angrier.

"Put those arms DOWN! NOW!" he roared as the stick woman came in, also looking furious. Before anyone knew what was going on, Andrew had been grabbed by the hair and dragged away from his seat before being tossed onto the ground. As Izuku stood, so too did Andrew, only to have his ear grabbed and twisted, causing the teen to cry out in pain.

"Do you have any idea how much you have embarrassed us?" said the stick woman, watching all of this going down before her with a tone so cold it could freeze hell a thousand times over. "You are the oldest. It was your job to look over your siblings. And what did you do? Allow Will, your sweet baby brother, to be led astray and into the arms of villains? Allowed him to make a scene that the entire world saw? Now, because of your failure, there's no chance that he will ever become a hero as he should be. How will we ever be able to show our faces in public when everyone saw him being carried off like some common criminal?"

"After everything we've done for you?" bellowed Andrew's father, not seeming to know or care that they were being watched and the heroes in training had risen to their feet. Or that Hisashi had let go of the hero in blue and was walking towards them. Instead, he pulled up on Andrew's ear while twisting it further. "We brought you back into our home out of the kindness of our hearts, and this is how you pay us back?!"

Izuku was about to activate Divine Dividing to fly over there and grab the man's arm. Itsuka looked ready to enlarge her fists to grab the man. Himiko seethed in rage, grabbing one of Pony's horns, which popped off easily. Speaking of Pony, she looked ready to unleash her Horn Cannon on the man. Tsutsumi was twirling her hair, shaping it into a bullet. Melissa had grabbed the back of one of the plastic chairs, no doubt planning on using it as a weapon. Gel's hair had turned red, creating a Battle Slime. Hydro Claw looked ready to unleash some high-pressure water at the man's back while Lady Sting's stinger rose, ready to strike. And Elven Price began touching several chairs, causing them to glow green.

Meanwhile, the pro heroes saw all this and just stood there, looking like they didn't know who to stop. The parents or the heroes in training. As for Hisashi, he didn't seem to have this issue as he neared the mother. But everyone froze at what happened next.

"You only took me back in so the neighbors wouldn't gossip," Andrew spat, finding his voice through the pain. This was answered by his father punching the teen with his free hand. Unable to watch this, Izuku shot towards Andrew and caught him before he hit the ground.

The father just glared at Izuku, but the green-haired teen didn't falter under the man's gaze as he helped up his fellow quirkless teen. As he did, he noticed the damage that had been done. Andrew's ear was now bleeding, dripping onto his shirt while his eyes were already starting to swell shut. The father looked ready to continue, but Angel seemed like she could no longer stay hidden as dozens of tendrils of white symbiote mass erupted from his arms before flailing around wildly. The sight of his symbiote appearing, showing he was ready to defend himself, caused Mr. Wroubel to back up and hesitate.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the truth?" demanded Andrew, his face mixed with pain and anger. A far cry from how he had reacted to them before. Was it because of everything that had happened to him yesterday, including dying? Or was this the straw that broke the camel's back? Izuku didn't know, only standing beside the American hero in training as he stood up for himself. "The only reason you bothered to give a damn about me was that I finally had a quirk and you didn't want people asking why I was living with grandpa and grandma! That, and so you had someone else to place all the blame for your shitty parenting!"

"You ungrateful sack of shit!" spat the father, his anger seeming to triple. "We could have put you in the foster system. Now put your quirk away so I can give you the discipline you deserve."

"No, you will not," said Hisashi as he stepped in front of the mother.

"This doesn't concern you," said the woman, eyeing Hisashi as if he were filth that she found underneath her shoe. "We have the right to discipline our ungrateful child however we see fit. Furthermore, what authority do you have here? Any of you?" As she said this, she looked around at the other teens who were clearly ready to step in. "And should any of you even think about using your quirks on us, there will be legal consequences. Believe me, I will make the rest of your lives a living nightmare with just-"

"With just what?" came a new voice, one that startled everyone in the room. Izuku blinked and rubbed his eyes as he felt he had missed something. Standing there, right in between Mr. Wroubel and Andrew, was Robstone! The elderly man was winded, sweat on his brow as he put more of his weight on his cane. A part of Izuku wondered how this had happened. The door to the conference room was shut, though not as tightly as it had been, and he was sure he hadn't seen the man blur there in a feat of super speed. Had he warped?

But those thoughts were quickly pushed to the side as the man turned to look over at Izuku and Andrew. There was no surprise in his eyes at what he saw. It felt more like he was confirming what he already knew while showing a kind pity. That, however, quickly changed as his eyes hardened. Looking back at Mr. Wroubel, he seemed to quickly stare down the man who just now seemed to realize the situation he was in.

Mrs. Wroubel, however, was another story.

"This does not concern you, Mr. Robstone," she said cooly. "But, perhaps we should have taken our family business elsewhere. Someplace where we won't be threatened by wild children."

"I beg to differ," said the Principal of Detroit Mercy while giving the woman an unamused look. "You have assaulted one of my students."

"Former student, actually," replied the woman, her tone going cold and harsh. "I am going to be frank with you: Detroit Mercy has been nothing but destroying our family's reputation. Something that I am beginning to wonder was done on purpose. You allowed this," she paused to glance over at Andrew, "failure to enter your school despite not properly passing the entrance exam. Furthermore, you refused to punish him for failing to look after his brother. Instead, you unjustly put Will on probation before allowing my sweet boy to walk down the wrong path. Had you done a better job, then Will would still have his life. And now this mess has me beyond words. Andrew attacked his brother, for all the world to see, instead of helping him. It was his job as the older brother to look out for his siblings and provide a good example for them. Clearly, he is an utter failure."

"That Bastardo tried to kill Andrew," growled Gel. "Multiple times." Mrs. Wroubel turned to give Gel a look, crinkling her nose in disgust as she did so.

"Do not speak of matters you do not understand," she said. "For that matter, when adults are speaking, children like you should remain silent with your heads down." She then turned to look at Robstone. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, the embarrassment of what happened is simply too much for me and my husband to handle. So, we will be removing Andrew from your school and sending him somewhere more appropriate. Perhaps military school will help shape him up. This is out of your hands."

Robstone didn't reply right away. Instead, he gave Mr. Wroubel a look that clearly said 'don't move' before walking slowly over towards Mrs. Wroubel. Each time the tip of his cane touched the ground, it was like the sound filled the entire room. In fact, despite his size and stature, Robstone carried himself with a sort of confidence that Izuku associated with All Might. For a moment, Izuku glanced over at Andrew. The teen was still in pain, but he seemed calmer now.

Then, the Robstone stood before Mrs. Wroubel, allowing them to glare at each other up close before he finally broke the silence.

"You think that was embarrassing?" he asked. "Well, imagine what other people will think of you when the press comes to question us about the attack. How I'll tell the press how my student fought bravely to defend countless innocent lives on the island at great risk to his own well-being. Being forced to do something he wasn't ready to do, but did it anyway. Then, when they ask to see him, perhaps I'll inform them that he isn't on campus because his parents pulled him out as their favored the villain over the hero. Tell me, how embarrassing would that be?"

The look on Mrs. Wroubel's face was priceless. It was as if she had just been slapped by All Might! Or, at least, that's what it looked like to Izuku.

"You wouldn't dare," she hissed.

"Oh, trust me. I plan on doing far worse," said Robstone in a scathing tone. He then took a step closer. "Did you really think I didn't suspect something was going on in your house after our last meeting? Ever since then, police and other heroes have been speaking to your neighbors. Apparently, they have all reported hearing you and your husband screaming. About how scared they get when the house goes quiet, and the family leaves, minus one, and acting as if nothing happened. Or how your son has been fidgeting more in school. More panicked and withdrawn. Hiding his face more often." Robstone then clutched at his cane harder, so much so that it looked like the wood would shatter in his grasp. "And now, I think I have a good idea of what threat you made to keep him from coming to us and asking for help. I was planning on speaking to your son once we got back, to let him know he could confide in us. But after seeing this…"

Mrs. Wroubel paused for a moment, taking a breath before she spoke. "What we did was called 'parenting'," she said stiffly. "But, even if you consider it excessive, there is nothing you can do about it. We are no longer standing on U.S. soil, meaning the laws of the States do not apply here. So there is nothing you can do."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that exactly," came a booming voice just before the doors opened again. Everyone in the room jumped as a man with red hair led the pack. Standing behind him were the other heroes. Izuku saw Endeavor, who had his hands balled into fists, look over the room with so much displeasure that the flames making up his beard tripled in size. His eyes shot towards Andrew, then at the other heroes, then at Mr. Wroubel, who had some of Andrew's blood on his hands, and then back at the symbiote-bound teen. There was also the Kamen Corps, all of them bristling with disgust. Pack Master was the first to move away from the group, rushing over to her student while Deadweight looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel.

Then there were the others, which surprised Izuku. Vlad King was there, gritting his teeth as he looked over at the heroes who had just stood around. Then there was Aizawa, a tint of red in his eyes, and his hair just slightly standing up, while Nezu sat on the man's shoulder. Nurse Asia was the next to move, rushing over to Andrew to begin healing.

Finally, one more person entered the room. She wasn't a hero, wearing a two-piece grey business suit and skirt. Her hair was a whitish grey, pulled back tightly, while small rectangular glasses rested on her nose. Her demeanor was stone face as she surveyed the room, not showing any emotions towards the heroes who had been in the room while this had been going down, nor to the students who seemed ready to fight. However, her expression faltered when her eyes fell on Tsutsumi. Though that might have been because the purple-haired girl's right arm was trembling.

"Mr. Gremory," said Hisashi, breaking the silence while nodding to the man in red.

"Ah, Mr. Midoriya," said Gremory in a pleasant tone. "So glad to see you here. We're going to need to talk later about our claim. But first, we need to deal with some other matters." The man then raised his right hand over his head before snapping his fingers. Instantly, two robots like the ones that Izuku, Pony, Itsuka, and Melissa had to fight the night before rose up from the ground. But, rather than go for the teen, the robots quickly bound the adult Wroubels.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Mrs. Wroubel. "You can not do this to us!"

"As a member of the I-Island Council, you will find that I can," said Gremory as he looked over at the struggling parents. He then snapped his fingers again, causing holographic screens to appear above his head. On them played footage of Mr. Wroubel pressing Andrew against a wall, punching him in the gut and the face repeatedly. Izuku felt a knot forming in his stomach as he watched Mr. Wroubel scream, telling his son to put his arms down so he could continue beating him while his mother watched with cold indifference.

"As a representative of the I-Island Council, I would like to apologize to you, Mr. Andrew Wroubel," said Gremory, speaking over the parents who were being led out, still claiming they did nothing wrong as the robots read them their rights. "Normally, when security cameras catch something of this nature, an alert is sent to I-Island Security so that measures can be taken. However, due to Dr. Shield and some of his associates meddling with the systems beforehand, which led to them taking over the island, this did not happen. Rest assured that we shall do everything in our power to properly make amends to this grieves oversight."

"Well, ah," began Andrew as Angel slid back under his skin. "I really don't…What's going to happen to them? My parents? And…well…"

Mr. Gremory gave the teen a reassuring smile. "You don't need to worry about your parents," he said. "Regardless of what they believe, they have violated I-Island law. They will remain in the detention center until bail is set, though they will not be permitted to leave the island as they await trial. We will be in contact with officials from the United States to inform them of what is going on."

"I am sorry that we could not act sooner," continued Robstone as he moved towards the now healed Andrew. In a very grandfatherly act, the man placed a comforting hand on Andrew's shoulder. "We were wrapping up a meeting when the footage was uncovered and presented to all of us. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to call you in privately to discuss things. To get a statement from you before contacting family members that you trust. That was when we found out about this…meeting." As Robstone said that last part, he shot a glare over at the heroes who had just stood there doing nothing. "And when I found out your parents had left their room in what the staff described as an 'angry fury', I rushed over as quickly as I could. Sadly, it was not fast enough."

"There's plenty of failures to go around," stated the woman in business attire as she shot a glance over to the other heroes. She then adjusted her glasses. "Would any of you care to explain why we had to find out from the hotel staff about this meeting?"

"Well, ah," began the hero in blue, someone looking smaller in that moment as his eyes darted in any direction except towards the woman. "With everything going on, we didn't want to waste time…and…well…you know?"

The woman's features hardened. "So you mean to tell me," she began, a stony fury in her voice. "That, after cowering from a massive villain threat, rather than helping with the clean up and looking for injured survivors, you called numerous high schoolers to a closed-door meeting? Without contacting their guardians, the schools they belonged to, or the I-Island Council?"

"Well, we got one," muttered the blue hero, gesturing to Hisashi. The businesswoman looked at the older Midoriya, giving him a once-over before returning to the target of her ire.

"Was that intentional?" she demanded. This time, the blue hero remained silent, which spoke volumes. "And to top it all off, the lot of you stood by doing nothing while a minor was being assaulted! Did any of you consider the damage such an act would cause if footage of this got out? Not to mention the moral implications!"

"Like you're one to talk about morality," muttered Tsutsumi. Though she had spoken quietly, the woman clearly heard it. But, rather than becoming angry or seeming annoyed, she instead appeared flustered. At the same time, Tsutsumi looked more than a little shocked. Like she had meant to keep that comment to herself, but it had slipped out.

"Well," began Gremory with a chuckle. "We certainly won't be inviting any of you to future Expo's. That's for sure." The man then turned to address the students. "Now then, I believe introductions have been delayed long enough. My name is Millicas Gremory, a member of the I-Island Council. While the rest of my colleagues are busy addressing the damages done to the island and the research therein, they have entrusted me to represent them in all other matters. Including how to respond to this various and colorful band of vigilantes. And after speaking with the president of the HPSC, we have decided not to press charges! What's more, we have spoken to both U.A. and Detroit Mercy in order to prevent any form of punishment as our way of saying thank you!"

Upon hearing that, Izuku found himself letting out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. As the tension left his body, the teen turned his gaze to look at his homeroom teacher. Vlad King allowed himself a brief smile, showing off his canines a bit before elbowing Aizawa for some reason. The homeroom teacher just shot the man an irritated look but remained silent. Feeling himself smile, Izuku turned to look at the member of his class he had been the most worried about: Himiko. The blonde bloodsucker was grinning ear to ear, clearly overjoyed at knowing that they weren't removing her from school and sending her back to prison.

"Wait! Hold on!" yelped the hero in blue, stepping forward. "This isn't right! Sure, quirk usage is permitted here on I-Island. But that's not all they did! All of them were caught engaging in hero work without a license! None of them even has a permit! So are you saying that vigilant work is acceptable? What kind of message will that send to the public?"

For a moment, Gremory and the woman from the HPSC shared a look. One that most teens could pick up on. It was the 'should I tell them or would you like to' look. After a moment, the woman gave a slight tilt of her head towards Gremory, causing the man to smile.

"Seems we're going to have to repeat ourselves. This is what happens when you are too busy hiding and bullying young heroes. You miss important meetings," said Gremory, his words ruffling the blue hero's feathers. "Simply put, I-Island dropped the ball big time. Our security has always been a major source of pride for us. But in one night, due to the actions of one of our own, that was shattered. Not only that, but the same people who betrayed us have been caught doing unspeakable acts." Gremory then gestured to the teens. "But despite our shortcomings, these brave young heroes took it upon themselves to act. They answered the call to action when all other options were rendered unavailable to them. Because of them, we were able to discover the traitor in our midst far sooner than we would have. Because of them, not only did they prevent highly technological devices from reaching the hands of villains all across the world, but they got preserved them by triggering the Vault's back-up safety system. And it was because of them that I-Island was not destroyed."

The woman from the HPSC rolled her eyes. "Must you be so dramatic?" she asked. Gremory suddenly looked ready to cry before moving to a corner of the room and pressing his index fingers together.

"I like being dramatic," he said in a pout. This caused the woman to shake her head before turning to look at the blue hero as well as the heroes who had sided with him.

"The true deciding factor was that the damage was already done," she said, her voice holding a no-nonsense tone. "As soon as communications with I-Island returned, the entire fight with that villain was broadcast around the world. Currently, the public is already heralding the teens as heroes. If they were to receive punishment, then there would be a significant backlash. However, this puts the Japanese and American governments in a bind, as if you reward them, then it might be taken as approval for vigilant justice. Thankfully, since most of the people involved are hero students, this gives us a little wiggle room."

"Meaning?" asked Tsutsumi, her tone guarded.

The woman from the HPSC took a breath. "We are going to edit the story," she said. "The students from Detroit Mercy and U.A. were heading to the party along with Melissa Sheild, who was in the middle of transferring to U.A.'s hero course." Upon hearing that, Melissa's eyes widened before her hands flew to her mouth. "Along the way, they ran into a hero who was running late and was also bound. After informing this hero of the situation, he gave them emergency permission to use their quirks and to act as heroes until the threat was over."

"Something that I later confirmed when I joined the fight," came All Might's voice on the speaker system. "While not everyone agreed with this course, the majority of those present agreed it was for the best."

As All Might spoke, Melissa looked up at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. Izuku knew what she had to be wondering. If All Might had been present for this meeting, had he been the one to suggest adding that Melissa was in the process of transferring into the hero course? At U.A?

"And, as Principal of U.A, I shall be telling the public that your transfer has been accepted!" exclaimed Nezu as he jumped off Aizawa's shoulder. Calmly, he walked over towards Melissa, who looked so shocked that it wouldn't surprise anyone if she fell down. In fact, one of the plastic chairs was moved behind her by Pony, and she was guided into a sitting position. Then, once he was in front of her, Nezu placed a hand on her lap. "I tell you this with genuine sincerity that your acceptance isn't for the sake of the cover-up or out of pity. Myself and the majority of my staff were very impressed by that suit you created as well as how you handled yourself out there. While we believe you would also thrive in our support course, All Might has informed us that your heart lies in heroics. So, with this in mind, we would be happy to welcome you as the first quirkless student to enter our heroics course!"

"Though, for how long you will remain there is up in the air," grunted Aizawa before Melissa could squeak out a thank you. Glancing over at the man, he gave off an aura that screamed he wasn't happy with the situation. It was pretty clear that he had been against all this and had been outvoted. "It has been decided that you will be in my class. While everyone else is heading off towards their internships, I shall give you the same assessment that I give all my students to measure your baseline. If you fail to meet my expectations, then I will have you removed from the hero program and sent to support. If I hear you complain once, then I will recommend that you be expelled."

"And when you pass," added All Might. "You will be spending the week with me as I start you on a special workout plan to help you become more physically fit."

While the teens were happy for Melissa, with Izuku being slightly jealous that she was getting a personal workout plan by All Might himself (he's still a fanboy after all), none of them could really shake off their worries for the scientist. Melissa was going to be evaluated by someone who was clearly unhappy with the situation. Either this job was forced upon him, which would be bad, or he had been given it after making the request in an effort to placate the man. Somehow, that second option seemed far worse as he could vent all his frustrations on Melissa and make her fail. Hopefully, he wouldn't do that.

Also, Aizawa being her homeroom teacher was a bit sad as it meant they would be in different classes. She would be away from everyone she had met during their time together. Though Izuku supposed that there was some sense to this decision. Aizawa was known as Erasurehead, a pro hero whose quirk could only be used to temporarily shut down other people's quirks. Meaning he was the closest thing to a quirkless hero. So if there was anyone around who could help her get into the world of pros, then it would be him.

"I don't believe this!" spat the hero in blue. "Those kids broke the law, and you're sweeping it under the rug? Covering for them?!" The hero then pointed a finger at Pony. "After destroying all those robots, private property, as well as damaging the roads?" He then moved from Pony, who had puffed up her cheeks in irritation, to Itsuka. "Stealing a hero's motorcycle and taking it on a joyride?" As Itsuka gave the man a deadpanned look, the blue hero gestured towards Melissa. "Owning highly dangerous technology and using it without proper training?" If that offended Melissa, she didn't show it, but the man then gestured to Izuku. "What about all the damage that this piece of shit caused during the fight and leading others to break the law?" The man then moved to Himiko, who just waved back. "And don't get me started on this psycho! When we found her, she was trying to cut off the villain's hand with a spork! A SPORK!"

"I only got far enough to puncture the skin," said Himiko sadly. "And he deserved it for grabbing my friend's ass and saying horrible, demeaning things about her! Totally justified."

"I don't care! There's no way we're going to keep quiet about this!" shouted the hero in blue. At that, the heroes that had sided with him in the beginning were now giving him a look that said 'keep us out of it'.

"Oh?" questioned the chairwoman from the HPSC before the coldest, wickedest smile crossed her features. And it was at that moment, the hero in blue knew he had fucked up. "I find that you will find doing so difficult, seeing as your license is going to be under review. Not only for your act of cowardice, but also for this meeting with these young heroes without properly informing their guardians. But, if you wish to make this worse for yourself by publicly calling All Might a liar, then go right ahead." She then turned to look at the heroes who had supported the hero in blue at the beginning. "What about the rest of you? Do you also support telling the public?"

Silently, the other heroes shook their heads as one, leaving their 'leader' high and dry.

"With that, I hope we are on the same page," continued the woman from the HPSC, turning to the group of teens. "The HPSC and the Council of I-Island will be making a public statement later today. Until then, please refrain from speaking to reporters or posting any of this to social media. We will be sending all of you the details of the cover story. If the press wishes to do an exclusive interview with any of you, please speak with your schools first while reviewing the records we sent you." She then turned her full attention towards Tsutsumi. "And with that, there is one more matter to address privately. Tsutsumi, would you please follow me?"

The young Tsutsumi could not hide how nervous she was at that moment, her right hand opening and closing as sweat appeared on her brow. Something that the other woman noticed as well. But before anyone could say anything. Izuku stepped in front of her, using his body as a shield. An act that happened so quickly that it caused several of the heroes to blink. Then, Himiko stood there as well. As did Bleak and Melissa.

"Where are you taking her?" asked Izuku as Hisashi moved to stand next to Izuku, showing his own support as well.

"Not to worry," replied Gremory as he moved back towards the group of heroes, his pouting done. "We wish to speak with her about…well, sensitive matters that you are aware of." As he said this last part, he gave the teen a knowing smile before glancing over at Izuku's left hand. A gesture that wasn't lost on the teen.

"I will be in the room as well," added Nezu. "Don't worry, nothing shall happen to her under my watch."

For a moment, none of the teens moved. Unsure of what to do, Izuku glanced over at Vlad King and Asia, looking for a sign on what to do. The Twilight Saint smiled reassuringly while his homeroom teacher just gave a firm nod. Seeing as they were the two adults that Izuku trusted the most in U.A., he stepped back. And soon, the others did as well.

With that settled, the room began to empty. Tsutsumi was led out of the room, following the woman from the HPSC while also being flanked on either side by Gremory and Nezu. Once they left, the Kamen Corps wanted to talk to Pony. Apparently, they wanted to congratulate their fellow American on how well she had done. At the same time, Itsuka was called to the garage where the hero, whose bike she had borrowe,d was waiting to speak with her.

As for Himiko…

"We are going to have a serious talk about you and sproks," said Asia, pushing Himiko out the door by the girl's shoulders. The fanged blonde flailed her arms in protest while Vlad King accompanied them.

"So Izuku," came Hisashi's hesitant voice as the Detroit Mercy students left the room. Turning, Izuku saw his father standing there while scratching the back of his head. His eyes were downcast and looking off to the side as if he were nervous. "I think, no, I would like to have a talk with you. A very long and overdo talk. If that's alright?"

For a moment, Izuku just stood there feeling conflicted. A part of him wanted to refuse right then and there. This was, after all, the very man who had been absent for most of his life. The man who just paid the bills but was never home. This was the man who, when he had tried reaching out an olive branch, had lied and said he had to work rather than spending time with him at the Expo. But, at the same time, wasn't this one of the things he had wanted? To have his dad back in his life? And he had risked his own life trying to save him from a giant rock monster's grip.

"Yeah," said Izuku slowly. "I guess we can talk." As he spoke, he wished he could hold onto one of his friends' hands for support. Like Itsuka's, Pony's, or even Himiko's hands. Just in case this went in the wrong direction, like his father finally walking fully out of his life. At the very least, he had Albion with him.

"Great," said Hisashi, finally looking up and giving his son a nervous smile. Izuku could even see hope in the man's eyes. But all that died the moment a massive, meaty hand landed on Hisashi's shoulder.

"Before you go, we need to have that talk," said Endeavor in a tone that said this wasn't up for debate. His eyes coldly looked down at the two, his beard seeming to crackle as it burned along his face. How did he do that?

"Ah, well," began Hisashi, looking around for help. Unfortunately, he got the exact opposite.

"This is perfect," came All Might's voice from the speakers. "I wish to speak with Young Midoriya and my niece for a moment. Young Melissa, would you mind bringing my student someone private and nearby so that we can have a private chat? There is something that I need to say." Just like that, the matter was closed. No one could say no when the Symbol of Peace wanted to speak with you.

-x-

Hisashi let out a sigh as he watched his son walk out of the room alongside the bespectacled blonde. At first, he cursed his luck. When he had first arrived on the island, it had been his hope that with such a large crowd, they would miss each other. That they would just happen to be in the same location for a short time and then leave, with Izuku never realizing that he was there. But that hope had been nuked pretty early on, forcing a very awkward and uncomfortable conversation between them. And with him being seen around Fuyumi and Natsuo, it was pretty understandable that his son fled. And now, when he wanted to spend time with his son, the universe was getting in the way!

Well, at the very least, Izuku said he would talk to him. All he had to do was make sure that that happened.

Before Hisashi turned to face the biggest impediment to that goal, he shot one last glance over at the blonde walking alongside his son. He could tell by their body language that there was an attraction. The way they looked at each other, the way they walked, while almost brushing their hands together. There was definitely something there…which confused Hisashi. Wasn't his son dating the girl with the orange hair? Wait, hadn't Izuku walked into the conference hall with several girls who all seemed pretty close to him? The most obvious was the blonde with the messy buns who looked like she wanted to drape herself over Izuku with every step. Then there was the girl with the horns, whom he noticed wiggling her hips in Izuku's direction whenever she was in front of him. Not to mention the girl with the purple hair wearing a short bathrobe. She looked nervous but hopeful, like she wasn't sure if she belonged there.

…Was his son a player?

He would need to talk to Inko about that later! For right now, he needed to face Endeavor without backup!

Speaking of the hero, Hisashi was now face-to-face with his former boss. The man stood there, his face an unreadable mask as he looked down at Hisashi with narrowed eyes. Focused on him and him alone. For several minutes, the two just stood there as the rest of the crowd slowly exited.

Then, when the last person left, and the click of the door being shut echoed through the room, Enji opened his mouth. Only for Hisashi to beat him to it.

"Before you say anything or yell at me," he began.

"Midoriya," interrupted Endeavor, sounding like he had expected this, had tried to prevent it, and failed.

"No! I need to get this off my chest," said Hisashi, his voice rising. "I know you-"

"Midoriya, stop talking," demanded Enji.

"Why? I don't work for you anymore," Hisashi shot back, feeling irritated. "So you can't order me around. So I'm going to say all the things I couldn't say back then, and you are going to listen for once."

"Or you can stop talking before you embarrass yourself," said Endeavor. Then the man paused, letting out a sigh as his shoulders relaxed. "Look, just let me say what I came here to say, and then we can go from there. I'm…sorry."

"Well, I don't…come again?" replied Hisashi. At first, he had been filled with righteous defianc,e which quickly evaporated into pure surprise and confusion. He stared at his former employer, the man who had given him a chance to be a sidekick when no one else would have, having never heard him say that to anyone before.

"I was…upset with you," continued Enji, swallowing hard. "Toya…was gone. Just like that. I never got the chance to apologize to him. Never got the chance to tell him how I felt. All those unresolved feelings were just stuck in me. And standing before me was the person I trusted more than anyone else to look after him when I wasn't there." Endeavor paused to swallow again. "So, I lashed out at you. And for three months, I stewed in that anger. Every day I went to Toya's room and just stared inside, half expecting him to crawl through his window. But always knowing that would never happen. Always blaming you for that.

"Then, when I had calmed down a little, Rei told me about what happened that morning," Enji continued. "About finding out that your son was diagnosed as quirkless. I can't imagine what that had to feel like. But Rei told me how…destroyed you looked after that. How you just zoned out. Then I remembered how much you cared for Toya. How you kept looking for him even after the fires had been burnt out, searching through the ashes." There was another pause. "I still didn't forgive you right away. But I did know that I went too far. That I threw all the blame on what happened to Toya on you. I went to your house to apologize, but you had already left."

"I…why didn't you call me? Email? Text?" asked Hisashi.

At that, Enji raised an eyebrow. "Would you have answered me if I did any of those things?" he asked. Hisashi opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. After a moment, he closed his ja,w realizing that Enji had a point. If he saw the man's number on his caller ID, he would have freaked out before dismissing the call. Unknown number? As soon as he heard the man's voice, he would have hung up. Emails? Yeah, he would have deleted them without reading them. Even a text would have been too much.

"…You have a point," said Hisashi at last, his shoulders slumping.

At that, Todoroki nodded. "Besides, I owed you a face-to-face apology," he said with a heavy sigh. "And, I also wanted to say that firing you was the biggest mistake of my life. Not because you were a good sidekick. Honestly, in that department, you were still mediocre at best."

"You just had to get one dig at me, didn't you?" grumbled Hisashi, causing a brief smile to appear on Todoroki's face.

"I've always been honest with my employees," replied Endeavor before his expression grew more serious. "The truth is, after you left, my personal life fell apart. Fuyumi was mad at me for a long time, though eventually she understood. Natsuo, well, he never forgave me for firing his favorite 'uncle'. Just one more reason he hates my guts. And, well, you heard about Rei, right?" Slowly, Hisashi nodded. He had almost reached out when he heard about Rei's breakdown. In fact, he had dialed Enji's personal phone number, ready to demand to know what happened, but his thumb refused to press the send button. He had told himself that he was the last person the family needed to hear from during such a horrible time.

"And then there's Shoto," grumbled Endeavor, pausing for a moment to run a hand through his hair. "It was bad enough when he began refusing to use the fire aspect of his quirk. Keeps saying he won't use 'my' fire. Like I'm lending it to him or something. He's been like that ever since his mother, well, had her breakdown. Blames me for it. I…blame myself as well. But ever since he entered U.A., I've been hearing he hasn't really been getting along with his classmates. Stuff like does everything by himself, never communicates with them, and other stuff like that. I think my training had something to do with it."

Hisashi blinked. "Really?" he asked. "I oversaw your training with Toya plenty of times. Sure, it was intense, but you were always-" Hisashi then suddenly cut himself off as he recalled one flaw he always brought up when he noticed Enji training Toya. Something he worked hard to correct for his boss. "Todoroki, please tell me you didn't overdo it and keep him isolated from everyone else."

Endeavor said nothing, just tilting his head to look away while sweat began rolling down his face. At seeing such a sight, several tick marks appeared on Hisashi's face.

"No wonder he ended up that way!" shouted Hisashi as he began waving a fist in the air. "Todoroki, I told you time and time again that kids need time to be kids! It is the most important time when they are devoloping! If they don't learn how to interact with others when they're young, they're going to have issues later on!" He then pointed a finger at Endeavor's face. "And didn't I also tell you that doing nice things for your family would earn you brownie points?!"

"Oh, like you did such a great job yourself raising your son," snapped Enji. "Oh, wait, that was all your wife's doing!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Todoroki's eyes widened in shock. He looked like he regretted what he said, but the damage was already done. Hisashi's fire had been snuffed out, and he had lowered his head.

"…You're not wrong," muttered Midoriya. "Unlike you, I wasn't there. Physically or emotionally. Guess you have one up on me there."

"Better to say we both made horrible mistakes," grunted Endeavor before letting out a sigh. "And now we're trying to make amends. Which is the other reason I wanted to talk to you." At that, Hisashi's head rose enough to look at the taller man.

"Originally, I thought I could make it up to you by giving your son an offer to intern at my agency," continued Endeavor slowly. "I had, after all, promised to write him a letter of recommendation to U.A. when you originally signed up at my agency. The reason I didn't wasn't that I fired you, but I didn't know how best to approach your family. And the last I heard was that he was quirkless, so, well, I just didn't know enough about him to stick my neck out there. As for the internship, the kid turned it down for some reason. Well, no matter. If he wants to do a work study in the future, have him give me a call."

"That's generous," said Hisashi.

Endeavor nodded. "It is," he replied. "But, since I saw you here, I've been thinking about how to make it up to you as well. Your termination was…messy."

Upon hearing that, Hisashi's eyes widened. "You want me back in the Flaming Sidekickers?" he asked in disbelief.

Enji threw back his head. "HAHAHA…no," said the fire hero, his last word coming out flat as he then looked directly at Hisashi. At that, Midoriya hung his head in humiliation, only to then lift it once again as Enji continued to speak. "Simply put, you've been out of the game for too long. And while I can see that you've kept in shape, you're nowhere near what I expect from my sidekicks. And, if I'm being honest, making you one at your age will be seen more as pity than anything else. So, instead, I have a different job in mind. Head of my insurance department."

Hisashi felt his jaw drop at that, aware of the position that he was being offered. The head of the insurance department was a key job in any serious hero agency. They, and the others in the department, worked with other insurance agencies on various things. The most obvious was to talk to the various insurance agencies to ensure that they had the best rates possible. But there was more to it than that. They also went out into the field of hero fights and rescue operations, filing their own report, which they gave to the government and other insurance agencies. They worked to dispute claims over who was at fault, hero or villain. And sometimes they had to help determine if there was any fraud in the claim.

"It's a big job with you being in charge of ten people," continued Endeavor. "And it will pay exactly what you are worth. Far more than what Aybsswell pays its own investigators. But, most importantly, you'll be back in Japan." The man then held out his hand, ready to shake.

For a moment, Hisashi just stood there staring at the hand. Then, he took it and shook. As he did, he thought about everything he could get back. He would be returning home to his motherland. He would be able to see his old friends again. He would be able to see Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo again. He could pay his respects at Toya's grave. But, most importantly, he would be close to his family once more. They may not let him walk back into their lives right away, but that would be fine. He would be closer, better able to support them. And maybe, in time, he could fix things.