Chapter Text
“Tomura finally started thinking and making decisions for himself…”
The air was thick, heavy with smoke and particles of debris, lingering from the utter devastation that had just been wrought.
“I wish you wouldn’t have gotten in his way.”
But none of them dared to breathe.
There was no time to even look back.
And despite the burning in their lungs, the organs desperate for any air, as toxic as it may be, none of them dared to breathe.
It was the work of an instant, and that made each of them quiver in abject terror. The horror of it all, the death that laid behind them made each of the prospective hero students want to puke.
But none of them dared to let anything slip.
Because that man’s spirit…
…had given them visions of death.
“You may one day have to fight against this great evil…”
Midoriya shakily grasped for his shirt, teeth grit, trying to anchor himself to anything in the world. Anything that could keep him grounded as his mind raced away from him, his entire being feeling faint with it.
“Tomura”…He was talking about Shigaraki!
He felt his friends all grasping at each other, to him, the usually stoic and seemingly unwavering Todoroki appearing just as faint as him, as his breaths laboured out, sharp and shallow, and the usually calm and collected Yaoyorozu clung to both his and Kirishima’s closest arms.
What is this…?
It’s not true, is it, All Might?
Against his better judgement, Midoriya, forced himself to turn, even as every instinct in his body shrieked at him to stop. But the dark compulsion keep moving him, even against his friend’s silent, almost tear-filled pleads.
And there, through a crack in the wall, the flimsy piece of brick and concrete that served as their only protection, their only means to hide, there he saw him.
Dressed sharp in darkness, and draped in a cloak of ash and smoke, was him.
That’s… All For One…!
“Now then, shall we do it?”
There was another blur of movement. A flash of black striking towards blue- no, denim, before the expanse went back to being eerily still once more.
And Midoriya felt the need be sick resurface, like how the contents of his stomach very nearly did, as he watched Best Jeanist, the number four hero, slump to the rubble floor, a gaping hole in his torso.
More movement, but this time he could see it.
But this brought him no comfort, as all at once the entire League of Villains was brought onto the scene by one of All For One’s quirks.
His eyes immediately shot to the familiar sharp tufts of explosive blonde hair, and its accompanying signature scowl.
That scowl was muted however, as Midoriya had to brace himself against the wall, head swimming at the sight of Bakugou Katuski, for a second time, frightened.
It was hidden partially beneath the scowl, as he had always done since they were children. But it was there.
Come on, think!
Yaoyorozu’s grip tightened as she pulled at his sleeve, trying to get him to turn away. As if the simple act of looking spelt their deaths. And maybe it did.
He got caught up in this because you were too slow to move, right? Well he’s right there; move!
Maybe he had doomed them all to this fate with his bull-headedness.
Think, think! Save them! Think of something!
He looked at the faces of his friends. The faces of some of the bravest people he had ever met, nearly drowning in their fear.
“You’re here after all, aren’t you..?”
His heart leapt up into his throat.
But then, he heard it. A roaring whistle that had become all too familiar after hearing it so often. But even before meeting it head-on, in person, he would never mistake the sound of that entrance.
*KABOOM*
“I’LL HAVE YOU RETURN EVERYTHING, ALL FOR ONE!”
“Will you kill me again, All Might?!”
Things became a blur again after that. The arrival of All Might had sent a great wave of hope through the hearts of the young heroes, like a crescendo in the final act.
They quickly went to put Midoriya’s plan into action after that, intending to take Bakugou out of harm’s way, and to give All Might the full playing field he needed to win. They had everything ready, they just had to-!
But that’s when it happened.
The scream.
In the moment it had taken him to blink, Midoriya suddenly found himself staring into the permanent grimace of what had to be death itself. Those dark, lifeless etches into a helmet that was a pale imitation of a human face.
But in that split millisecond he realised that, it wasn’t supposed to be a human face. If anything, much like the reaper he couldn’t help but compare it to, it was far more akin to a skull.
“So, this is him hmmm? The next child cursed with a power they could never possibly hope to understand, never mind control.”
The dark monolith of a man tutted in Midoriya’s face, his entire mask moving with him as he shook his head in disappointment.
“Honestly, after what happened to your master All Might, I would think that you had learned not to choose such a soft successor.”
Midoriya heard All Might’s guttural growl from wherever he was, out of his sight somewhere. But he couldn’t even bring himself to look towards it. He was afraid, too much so to anything other than be. To be afraid.
All For One knew about him. Did he- did he know it all..?
“And honestly, I’ve seen his ‘performance’”, he drawled the word as much as he could, “during the Sports Festival that moronic school insists on showing off.”
Midoriya’s entire being shook as All For One turned to look at him again.
“It was more than pitiful. It was downright maddening. Such a waste of power, and potential.”
That strangled sound his mentor made, only made Midoriya’s skin crawl, as much so as merely being in All For One’s presence did. The first time his mentor’s presence hadn’t immediately filled him with a sense of drive. Of purpose.
He only felt…hollow.
“How, dare y-?!”
All Might’s thunderous rage was quickly cut off by a concentrated blast of mixed quirks from All For One’s free hand. The other of which was being used to-
“The same can’t be said of these ones however.”
If Midoriya thought he had come close to being sick before, the sight around him proved his notion grossly misinformed.
Suspended in the air around, tightly, painfully wrapped in All For One’s dark, vein-like tendrils, were his friends. Each of them dangling helplessly like himself, unable to muster any will at all, much less the will to try something.
All For One stroked gently at where his chin would be under the helmet with his free hand, taking his time. Revelling in a victory he seemed certain was already coming.
“Such fine quirks in each of you,” he chimed, sounding genuinely enthusiastic when he did. He began looking from one to the other.
“Fine speed, and applied power.”
Iida shivered.
“Such dynamic, but applicable versatility.”
Yaoyorozu paled and trembled.
“Rather plain but, still such strong durability for being used through will alone.”
Kirishima gulped.
“And of course, you, son of Endeavour.”
Todoroki growled, mostly to himself however.
“Such raw, unbridled power.”
All For One opened his arms out, gesturing to each of them.
“Each of you would make such fine additions to my collection.”
There was a pregnant pause. One that insidious man was letting drag on purpose. It was another form of torture in itself.
“That said…each of you would make such fine Nomu as well.”
The sick glee in his voice was so thick in the air you could taste it, and each of the teenagers’ panic bubbled up from beneath what little bravery they could muster in simply keeping themselves from breaking, tears even flowing from the eyes of Iida and Kirishima.
But, despite himself, despite the fear that was threatening to swallow him whole, the fear that felt like it had sunk into the very marrow of his bones and would still leak from the pores of his skin, Midoriya raised his head, and looked All For One dead in the eye.
“Y-you won’t touch- them.”
The ancient man’s head immediately tilted, but so imperceptibly Midoriya doubted anyone else noticed it but him.
“That’s quite the bold statement…ninth.”
He knows.
Midoriya’s breath hitched in his chest, and for a moment, it felt like he couldn’t breathe. But as that moment passed, and the function resumed naturally, he took a deep breath in.
He knows. So that means he can do this.
His mentor’s words echoed again in his mind. And he glared at the world’s greatest evil in defiance.
“You w-won’t touch them!”
All For One laughed, loudly, heartily, even as a strange wheezing sound began to accompany it. It was short, barely coming in at the end of each sound uttered, but it was there. One that stayed, even as he continued speaking.
“Don’t tell me; are you going to do something about it, Midoriya Izuku?”
He leaned in a fraction, probably barely two inches, but it was enough to have everyone’s adrenaline spiking.
“Now that would be interesting, wouldn-”
“ALL FOR ONE!”
Another large bang went off, and barrelling towards them again was All Might, an unholy fury on his face only matched by that at the USJ.
“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY STUDENTS!”
All For One reacted immediately, catching the powerful strike sent his way with a single open palm. The students’ breaths all hitched at the sight.
And then it got worse.
“…impact recoil.”
The soft-spoken words held as much devastating impact as the effect they introduced, sucking the fleeting hope from the hero students as they watched their teacher rocket back again, this time under the strength of his own attack.
“I’m afraid I don’t have to time to entertain you All Might. You see, I’ve found some interesting subjects to analyse here, and I- think I’ll just take my time with them. If you don’t mind.”
He turned back to the group again, fingers on his free hand twitching absentmindedly, like some sort of tick.
It probably was, Midoriya figured, given the nature of this man his predecessors had faced. Selfish, and greedy.
“Now then. As entertaining as your screams would be, I am quite crunched for time at the moment, as you can all imagine.” He chuckled to himself, gesturing widely with his arms as he did.
“So I’m simply going to choke you all out to prevent any unnecessary struggling.”
He didn’t give them any time to prepare, not that it would have done them any good. The searing pain of the oxygen forced from their mouths, and the remaining air trapped in their lungs, was overbearing and instant.
Hot tears streamed down each of their faces, accompanied by their barely audible and ever shortening gasps for air.
Midoriya’s instincts kicked in, and he began kicking and beating at the tendrils grasping him. Killing him.
He had no time to think. He couldn’t think of anything. Watching his friends, writhing in agony, and fear. Completely unable to do anything…
But he had to…
“…G-guys…i…it- it’s…goin-…t…ok…”
I̷̧̪͠t̴̲͊'̵̢̞̀̃s̵̨̅̊ ̶̯̱͘ţ̴̢̈́̀ő̵̪͛ỏ̴̳ ̴̘̮̾s̸̱̏̚o̷̗̞͒̍o̸̬̪͊̏n̸̨͉̍.̸̤̻͆.̷̛͓̞̾.̵̭́
He could feel his heart throbbing in his head, as his jugular had blood pumped through it desperately.
Ȟ̷̢é̸͍́ ̵̭̊̈́i̵͙̦͑s̴̡̼͗͒ṋ̶͈̀'̸̧͈̄͠ț̸̝́̿ ̷̬͛r̴̢̐ë̵̦̹̊ȧ̵̬̲̌d̵̗̒̊y̶̘̦͑ ̷̪͝y̵̧̬̎e̸̟͌ť̷͙̅.̷͇͗.̶̢͓̀̎.̸͎̰͝
His vision was quickly fading, even and especially as he tried to keep his eyes open.
W̸̱̆ȩ̷̓ ̸̩̋d̴͕͒o̴̘͘ń̶̦'̸̲͘ţ̵̎ ̶͗ͅh̵̖͋a̷̹̍v̷̥͑ê̸͈ ̸̨͘m̵͇̀ǘ̶͇c̵̥̋h̸̪̉ ̶͍̕ō̴̟f̷̠̆ ̶̮͗a̷̢͌ ̸̖͋c̷̦̈h̴̟̊o̵̞͝i̵̬̚c̸͓̓e̴̮͆ ̵͙̎s̵͚̊ė̸̯c̵͔͊ȯ̶͈ń̸̼ď̷̙.̶̛̮ ̷̬́H̴͉͗e̶̙͗'̶̬̀ṡ̷̹ ̴̪͐t̸͝ͅh̷̹́ě̸̼ ̵̠̂o̷̥͠n̵̟͛ḛ̶͗.̶͚̓.̵̪̌.̴̠͂t̵̮̾ḧ̸̖́e̵̺̓ ̶̞̄ō̴̩n̸̑͜ẻ̵̥ ̴̡̒w̷̺̄h̷̺͑o̴̖̓ ̷̺͒w̸̻̾i̵̤̍l̸̫̏l̶̟͝ ̶̩̀f̷̙̅ḯ̸̮ň̵͈a̸̧̓l̶̫̔l̷͚͌y̸͍̾ ̷̖̎ẻ̷̗ň̶̻d̴͙̚ ̶̜͝ t̷̼͝h̸̻͠ì̴̖s̴̡̏.̸̣̃.̸̕͜.̶̛̬ ̴̠̕
W̴͙͌ȇ̶͓ ̶̯͑n̶̗̅é̸͎e̵̬͝d̵̖̊ ̵͎̈́ḧ̵̦́i̴̱̾m̵̮̈.̶͍͒.̸͈̆.̶̲̋
The darkness crept in faster and faster, encompassing every corner of his vision…
But he had to do something! The others..!
I̶t̸'̷s̷ ̶a̶l̴r̵i̴g̴h̸t̴ ̸k̸i̸d̴d̴o̷.̸.̴.̸Y̴o̷u̶ ̷c̵a̷n̸ ̴s̸a̸v̵e̵ ̴t̷h̷e̴m̵.̴.̶.̸
Then, from deep within his chest, Midoriya could feel- something. Something stirring.
I̴t̶'̷s̸ ̴o̵k̷.̵.̵.̷ I̵t̸'̶s̸ ̴a̵ ̴l̴i̴t̵t̸l̷e̶ ̷e̷a̶r̵l̴y̸ ̴b̶u̷t̴.̴.̵.̵
W̴e̸'̸l̴l̷ ̷l̵e̵n̵d̵ ̶y̴o̵u̸ ̵s̷o̸m̶e̴ ̴o̷f̵ ̵o̴u̴r̵ ̸p̴o̷w̸e̶r̸.̴.̵.̴
Midoriya gasped as fresh air filled his lungs, forcing them open, too quickly to be relieving. But they were open. He could breath.
“What in the-…that’s the…”
All For One’s shocked voice might as well have been mute to Midoriya’s ears, as he sucked in mouthfuls of air, blinking back the pain and tears that obscured his vision. And through them both, he glared back at the master of the league, and his body crackled with a familiar but, newfound power.
He blinked then, becoming nearly mesmerised by the sight before him.
It was almost like staring into some sort of strange reflection, the kind from a funhouse mirror. All For One’s tendrils, crimson and black, being pulled and snagged on, by more. Glowing an ethereal dark green…and coming from him.
“…Mido…riya…”
The barely audible voice of one of his friends had Midoriya snap to attention, his rage subsiding for just a moment. But it was only a moment, as his eyes found the voice’s owner, Iida. One of his best friends. Still bound up in All For One’s clutches.
And, as his rage snapped back to the fore, this strange new power, whipped to his command.
“LEAVE THEM ALONE!”
All at once the tendrils reacted, violently tugging at their crimson counterparts, tearing straight through them. The others all dropped to the floor, wheezing, coughing, as fresh air entered their lungs again, as Midoriya landed in a low crouch, barely above the ground.
“Oh, no. This is an- unexpected and, admittedly interesting development but, I will not let it, or you stand in m-”
As All For One reached out his hands, hand aglow as he brought his own power forth again, a shockwave shook the land, dust and dirt erupting from the epicentre behind him. All Might had returned.
But, not in time to stop the launched attack.
However, the two of them could do nothing but look on, as Midoriya’s new power surged forth even faster, a dozen tendrils shooting out and ripping through All For One’s again, striking into the ground around his friends, as if in the shape of a cage.
“Midoriya, my boy, you have to..!”
Midoriya instantly shot a look to his mentor, and, without any words, the number one understood. He would protect them, but this, was their fight. Not just his.
He truly got it.
“This is over All For One!”
All Might stood as tall as he could, body primed and ready.
“That’s right you monster! Today is the day you pay for all of your crimes! Because-”
“WE-
-ARE-
-HERE!”