Sam was barely clinging to consciousness.
Luck—if it could even be called that—saved him from immediate capture. In his delirium, his hands found a manhole cover. He wrenched it open and fell into darkness.
Cold water. Filth. Concrete.
The sewer swallowed him whole.
'If… if I don't… heal…
I'll die… in minutes…'
With trembling hands, Sam clawed open his bag and pulled out the first-aid kit.
Good news: Endeavor's flames had cauterized the shoulder wound.
Bad news: he was burned, bleeding, and standing knee-deep in bacteria.
'Infection will kill me.'
Sam took out the things he needed most. Disinfectant and bandages. He took out all of them.
Sam bit down on his knuckle and poured the disinfectant over his burns.
White-hot pain tore through him.
His vision went black.
Instinct dragged him back.
"Fuck… I gotta keep going!"
He cleaned the wounds as best he could, wrapping bandages until he ran out.
"Shit…"
He tore the remnants of his plaid shirt into strips and wrapped himself tighter.
'Construction site… forest… there's a manhole there…'
He chose to go to the forest in particular, because he saw it while working on construction. He knew a manhole was nearby. He had to get their through these gross sewers.
He forced himself up and started walking.
Every step felt like it might be his last.
Hours passed in a blur of pain and fading consciousness. Sweat soaked his hair. His skin turned pale and clammy.
Finally—
A ladder.
Just above him, should be the house by the forest.
Sam climbed.
Each rung sent agony screaming through his body.
After great struggle, he reached the top.
He shoved the heavy cover aside and collapsed onto the surface, gasping.
"I'm scared," he whispered. "So scared…"
Africa bled into Japan. Concrete became dirt. Sirens became gunfire.
'I promised her…'
He stood.
Ahead—
The construction site.
And beyond it—
The forest.
Salvation.
"Almost… there…"
Then—
"I AM HERE!!!"
Sam froze.
A massive shadow fell over him.
All Might landed.
The crowd erupted instantly.
"It's All Might!"
"He's here!"
"It's over now!"
"Way to go, All Might!"
Dread flooded Sam's chest.
"IT'S OVER, YOUNG SAMUEL! IT'S TIME TO GIVE UP!"
Something inside Sam snapped.
"Hahahaha…"
The laugh crawled out of him—broken, sharp, wrong.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!!"
People recoiled.
Even the news helicopter hovering above tilted slightly, the camera zooming in.
That smile turned into a snarl of pure rage.
"Wipe that fucking smile off your face," Sam screamed, voice cracking, "you mother-fucking piece of shit!"
All Might flinched. The hate in this boy was incredible. But as the symbol of peace, he had to put an end to the chaos.
"I understand you're angry," he said carefully, "but this isn't the—"
"The way?" Sam spat. "Then what is the way? Lying to all these bastards watching?!"
All might was silent at that. So where the onlookers. Only the sound of the far away chopper were heard.
Sam continued, ready to let out all his hate.
"You're a liar, All Might," Sam continued, blood spilling from his lips. "A fraud."
Silence fell.
"You call yourself the Symbol of Peace," Sam rasped, "without knowing a damn thing about the world outside this bubble shielding this country. Sure—Japan looks fine. Clean. Safe."
His hands shook violently.
"But have you seen the world outside here?! It's hell! I've been stuck in Africa for my entire childhood! I have seen the worst of humanity! Why are they still walking around peacefully, while you beat petty thugs to a pulp and stand on their beaten forms for cheers?!"
Sam wobbled. He was losing it. All the hate, sorrow, pain, he was letting it out now.
"Not only is it hell overseas, but do you think this country is sunshine and rainbows?! No!!! What I have seen so far makes me sick!!! No problems are being addressed! You think you are doing some great service! But you are the greatest cancer to ever plague this world!!"
Everyone watching was shocked, even though the people recording shouldn't let this continue as it would likely put heroes in a bad light, they couldn't. All Might couldn't even move as he heard the cruel and truthful words of the broken boy in front of him.
"All you do is punch villains! That's it! No change! No progress!"
Sam staggered forward.
"You could've gone to schools. You could've stood in front of kids and told them not to bully the quirkless. You could've advocated for us."
His eyes burned.
"Why don't you fight for quirkless rights? Why don't you tear apart the corrupt maggots rotting inside the HPSC?"
He laughed weakly.
"I'll tell you why."
He pointed at All Might.
"Because you don't see us."
All across the globe, quirkless people watching this felt a shimmer of hope. They all feel like after this, they may be able to be seen.
All Might was affected greatly.
'That's right… I never did anything to change things for the better…'
Sam coughed violently.
"I spent years in Africa," he whispered. "Years. Just trying to survive."
His voice broke.
"I saw kids… little kids… wearing shirts with your smiling face. Saying 'I am here.' Saying 'Symbol of Peace.'"
Tears streamed down his face.
"And those same kids… were riddled with bullet holes."
A collective gasp rippled across the nation.
"Wearing a shirt that says 'Symbol of Peace' while being gunned down by warlords who thrive on suffering."
All Might's composure vanished.
His eyes widened.
Shock.
Then horror.
Then something like fear.
'He's right.'
'What have I been doing…?'
Sam stumbled forward until he stood directly in front of him.
"Why…" Sam sobbed. "Why…?"
He began punching All Might's chest—weak, desperate, meaningless blows.
"Why… why… why!"
All Might dropped to one knee to meet his height, tears streaming freely.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm so sorry."
He reached out.
"Please… come with me. I'll make sure you're healed. You don't have to suffer anymore."
Sam looked at him with shock.
"I believe what you said, Young Suzuki. And your words, while harsh, hold merit. I won't pretend to understand your pain, but I swear, I will do whatever it takes to right my wrong."
There was a pause.
Long.
Heavy.
The world held its breath.
Sam stared at him.
Then—
"Liar."
In one fluid motion, Sam shoved a smoke grenade into All Might's mouth and pulled the pin.
BOOM!
"GAAAH—!!"
All Might collapsed, coughing violently as smoke poured from his nose and mouth.
The crowd screamed.
"ALL MIGHT!!"
Sam raised a pistol with shaking hands.
He felt like he was dreaming. He felt like he was back in Africa. In fact, he was seeing the burning remains of a village with dead villagers all over. And before him, was the man who never came to save them.
"Die…"
Just as he is about to pull the trigger—
"SAM!!"
The shout tore through the chaos like a gunshot.
Sam froze.
"STAND DOWN, SAM!!"
He turned.
Lieutenant Donald Simmons pushed through the crowd, uniform dusty, eyes locked on him.
"You don't want to do this!" Simmons yelled. "This isn't you!"
"Lieutenant…" Sam sobbed.
"You're right," Simmons said firmly. "The world's broken. It's unfair. It's cruel."
He stepped closer.
"But you're not in Africa anymore."
Sam felt tears falling from his eyes even more.
"I'm not in Africa anymore? I'm free? Hahahaha! Bullshit!"
Sam screamed and clutched his head.
"I can't escape it!" he cried. "I can't just pretend I didn't see the things I saw in Africa! I can't just stop remembering the atrocious things I had to do to survive! I can't forget all the death and destruction and the cruel laughs of evil warlords! And I come back to the world, from that hell! But I can't walk down the street without being judged! They look at me and see a monster!"
He shook violently.
"A scarred, dangerous monster! That's all they see! Even now—they call me a villain! Who are they to judge me?! Who are they?!? Who are they to call me a villain when they don't even know me?!? Maggots! That's what they are!!!"
He collapsed to his knees.
"I can't do this anymore! I can't—!"
Simmons rushed forward and pulled Sam into his arms.
Sam clung to him like a drowning man, sobbing uncontrollably.
Everyone could just watch as Simmons, who had tears falling, held the sobbing and broken Sam. His words impacted them all. They could only think to themselves about what they have been doing.
Eventually, his body gave out.
Simmons lifted him carefully.
"Sam… Sam!…"
No response.
"I NEED MEDICAL—NOW!"
Sirens wailed closer.
All Might coughed himself upright, eyes hollow, smoke still drifting from his lungs.
No one cheered.
No one filmed.
How could they?