Chapter Text
Aizawa glares at the Commission workers sitting at the other side of the conference table. He’s tired, his head hurts from lack of sleep and the coffee clutched in his hands is the only reason Aizawa doesn’t try and punch the idiot after she said what he thinks she did. He barely keeps from baring his teeth when he speaks, though based on the way Ectoplasm leans away from him, his voice is still sharper than usual.
“For your sake, I hope I heard you wrong. What, exactly, did you just say?”
Normally Aizawa manages to keep his cool better, but he has barely slept in the past three days. Ever since the League of villains was caught. They are being actively detained on school property and Aizawa hates that even more, even when Midnight and Recovery Girl are making sure all of them are unconscious for the entirety of their stay. He cannot sleep when Eri and his students are this close to the League of Villains of all people.
The Commission worker sighs and gives Aizawa a pitying look that only makes him bristle more. He hates having to work with people so immersed in the public rating system and while the Commission leaves him alone most of the time, they do regularly get into arguments that set the principal into a sour mood, which nobody wants to deal with. She adjusts her glasses, the faint glow of her eyes intensifies for a second. Aizawa doesn’t know what her quirk is, nor does he care much for it.
“We know this is very sudden, but you have to understand that we cannot keep the League of Villains unconscious forever. Whatever action we plan on taking must be executed as quickly as possible, before the public starts getting too anxious. For now, they are content with the knowledge that the LOV has been captured, but that won’t hold for long. If we don’t make our next steps public soon, they will demand answers. And, frankly, none of our prisons are equipped to hold the League, especially not Shigaraki. We are already having enough trouble with All for One, holding a second person with his quirk might end up being a fatal error.”
Aizawa throws back the last of his coffee and sets the mug down. It has gone cold by now, but he doesn’t stop glaring at the Commission worker. The worst thing is, she’s right. They cannot allow the League to stay on school grounds as they are and they can’t send all of them to Tartarus either, not with All for One there. But no other prisons are equipped to handle someone like Shigaraki, especially not on such a short notice. Still, it’s the second part of her request that is giving him such a headache. He folds his arms over his chest as she continues speaking.
“So, if we cannot detain them as they are, we need to change them. The public’s trust in the hero system has been wavering these past few months, the people demand change. Showing that we are willing to listen to them by implementing a sort of redemption system could go a long way in gaining their trust back and, should this proof efficient, spare us a lot of resources.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Aizawa can see Yamada seething. His knuckles are white from how tightly the voice hero is clutching the armrests of his chair. Yamada has always been very vocal when he doesn’t agree with something, but right now he is letting Aizawa talk. Even Nedzu doesn’t speak up. Aizawa tries not to grind his teeth. He fails.
“I do not see why we need to involve Eri in this. She is too young for this amount of responsibility, her quirk is still too unstable.”
The Commission worker nods, but her expression doesn’t change. Neither does her tone of voice.
“As her guardian, I’m sure you have the best understanding of Eri’s quirk, but rest assured that we have measures in place to make sure everything goes smoothly. You will be present, of course, to reassure her and make sure she doesn’t go to far, but we will also bring someone with a memory erasing quirk in in case Eri’s quirk does not work as we expect it to. We also promise that, in case this is a success and we choose to try and reform other villains, we will not ask for your assistance again.”
Aizawa leans back in his chair. He hates the thought of having Eri anywhere near these villains, but they’re unconscious. Despite everything, this might be their best shot at getting rid of the issue permanently. He slumps in his chair with a sigh.
“Fine. If Nedzu agrees to this, okay. But I refuse to let Eri, or any of my students, have any contact with the League afterwards.”
The Commission worker agrees to that easily and soon they’re going over the finer details of what needs to be done. Aizawa feels like he swallowed lead, his headache has gotten worse and he feels sick to the stomach. Turning someone into children, taking away their memories, erasing their identity just like that, it’s a lot. He isn’t even sure if it’s the right thing to do, but facing harsh decisions like this is what it means to be an underground hero. At least like this, his students will be safe. Eri will be safe. His metal leg burns with phantom pains as Aizawa takes the pen he is offered and signs the document Nedzu crafted based on their discussion.
It’s the very next day that Aizawa is making his way to the underground bunker where the League of Villains is being kept, Eri holding his hand as she walks next to them. He hates this, he hates that he has to do this, but he needs his students to be safe and they won’t be safe for as long as the League poses a danger to them.
The same Commission worker as before is waiting for him, a teenager around the age of his students at her side. They look nervous, but quickly school their features as the Commission worker steps forward to greet Aizawa with a shallow bow. They don’t really talk as they enter the building and Eri steps closer to Aizawa, clearly on edge. He crouches down to pick her up.
“It’s okay, Eri. I’m here.”
She hides her face against his shoulder and Aizawa’s heart aches.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
He pats her hair slightly. He hates this.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t hurt them. Remember what I said?”
She nods.
“This is to make sure they can be saved, like I was.”
Aizawa hates himself a little as he agrees and they continue walking. Soon, they reach the room where the League is being kept in. Six hospital beds, separated by curtains that are currently pulled back so the League is visible. They’re chained to the beds, hands completely covered in cuffs and all of them are connected to slowly beeping machines. Breathing masks give them a steady supply of Midnight’s quirk, keeping them unconscious. Eri whimpers and hides her face in Aizawa’s shoulder again, clinging even closer to his shirt.
The teen the Commission brought steps forward first, making their way along the League members. Aizawa listens as their heartbeats increase rapidly while the memory erasing quirk is used on them, only to settle down again afterwards. The teen steps back after a while, taking their position next to the Commission worker again. They haven’t talked for the entire time. Aizawa takes a deep breath and sets Eri down.
“Now, send them back about halfway, okay? Like we practised.”
Eri nods in determination as she steps forward. Aizawa doesn’t pay attention to where Hound Dog is unchaining the first villain, Twice. His eyes are on Eri and he tries his best to smile at her when she looks back at him with an unsure expression. Her horn glows as she presses her hands against Twice’s chest and he starts shrinking, until all that is left is a teen, maybe fifteen years old. He is thinner than he should be, even with his naturally wide shoulders. Aizawa pats Eri on the head.
“Good work, now we can move on to the others. Then we can leave, and they can too.”
Eri nods and makes her way through the line. Spinner next. He looks average for the age he should be. Eleven, maybe? Toga, who ends up around nine if Aizawa has to guess, looks like an average girl. It hurts, knowing that she was a normal kid before she turned to villainy. Compress, too, ends up as an average teen, lean but not thin in the same unhealthy way Twice seems to be.
Shigaraki is second to last, and Aizawa is ready to act the second his chains are taken off. Eri is quick to move and Shigaraki shrinks too. A concerning amount of wounds flash by while he gets younger, but Aizawa can’t focus on that. Shigaraki is small when Eri pulls back, smaller than he should be based on how long she used her quirk. He should be around twelve, eleven at the youngest. He’s small for his age, and yet there are already scars on his face, neck and arms. Aizawa pulls Eri along before she can stare too intensely at them. He wishes she didn’t have to see them at all.
Dabi is last, since his wounds are the most extensive. Based on what Endeavour told them, turning him to around thirteen would be best, though that’s older than half. He places a hand on Eri’s head. She’s shaking, ever so slightly.
“Just one more, then we can leave. You can do it.”
Eri takes a deep breath and starts rewinding Dabi. His wounds get better, his hair goes from black to white, and he shrinks. Suddenly, his burns get worse again and there are tears in Eri’s eyes as she pushes through, as she rewinds until the burns are gone. Dabi is even smaller than Shigaraki is now, his hair white and there are still burns on his body, though they’re less intense than what they were before.
Eri pulls back with a sob and Aizawa quickly catches her in his arms. He picks her up and lets her cry into his shoulder as he leaves, not looking back when he hears Recovery Girl bustle around to make sure all of the now younger villains are properly cared for. He shouldn’t have agreed to this. But what’s done is done. At least he won’t ever have to put Eri into such a situation again.