(3rd Person POV – League of Villains Hideout)
A black portal tore open inside a dimly lit bar, spitting Tomura out onto the cold floor. He hit the ground hard, curling up instinctively, his breath ragged and uneven. Tremors wracked his body as he bit down on his lip to stifle a scream.
Kurogiri collapsed beside him, utterly still. His neck brace, once sturdy, was now cracked and barely holding together, the jagged lines marring its surface.
For several agonizing moments, Tomura could do nothing but writhe in pain. Then, through gritted teeth, he managed a curse.
"...Damn it..."
A monitor behind the bar flickered to life. Its screen remained blank, but the voice that followed was unmistakable.
"Hm? Tomura… what happened?" AFO's smooth, measured voice carried a hint of intrigue, though he made no effort to demand an immediate answer. He knew Tomura was in no condition to speak coherently.
Tomura forced himself to respond, his vision swimming from blood loss. "...That damn... kid…" Another groan slipped past his lips, his strength failing him.
AFO observed in silence before finally speaking again.
"Don't worry, Tomura. Kyudai will take care of you. Then, you can tell me all about this... kid."
The screen clicked off. At that moment, an inky black liquid surged from both Tomura's and Kurogiri's mouths, swallowing their battered forms whole before whisking them away.
(AFO POV – ???)
I watch as Tomura and Kurogiri materialize before me. Tomura's condition is far worse up close—his hands and feet have been severed, leaving raw, exposed flesh where limbs should be. Kurogiri remains unconscious, his form eerily still.
"Kyudai," I say, my voice echoing softly through the dim chamber.
A short, rotund figure emerges from the shadows, his hunched form radiating an almost childlike excitement.
"Patch them up, will you? It would be unfortunate if they died." I keep my tone casual, though my gaze lingers on Tomura.
"Most unfortunate indeed, Master." Kyudai's laughter is a dry, rasping thing, filled with an unsettling glee. A group of High-End Nomu steps forward, their heavy footsteps echoing as they lift the two broken bodies and carry them away.
I rest my chin against my hand, eyes narrowing slightly as I watch Tomura being dragged off.
"Curious, isn't it?" My voice is laced with amusement. "A mere kid inflicted that much damage before they could even escape."
Kyudai hums, adjusting his glasses with a gloved hand. "More intriguing is the quirk they must possess. Kurogiri was engineered to ensure an escape was always possible. And yet, he failed." He grins, his fascination palpable.
"Heh… then we'll have our answers soon enough," I murmur, a slow smile forming. "I do look forward to hearing the story."
(Kata POV – USJ)
As we approach the teachers and the rest of the class, I can feel their eyes on us—or more specifically, on the Nomu floating silently behind me.
'I'll have a lot of explaining to do.'
We reach the top of the stairs, where Nezu, All Might, and a few other teachers stand waiting.
Aizawa and Thirteen aren't here, which means they've already been taken for treatment.
I stop in front of Nezu, my expression unreadable. My hood and mask are tucked away as I had removed them on the way up. "Hello, Principal Nezu. I assume you'd like to speak with me?"
Momo and Jiro take Kaminari with them as they head toward the rest of the class, who are busy recounting the attack to the teachers. That leaves me standing alone with Nezu.
He gives me one of his practiced smiles, his beady eyes sharp with curiosity. "Why yes! I've already heard quite a bit about your actions today. I must say, I'm both grateful for your contributions and deeply regretful that you and your classmates had to endure such an ordeal." He bows slightly.
I incline my head in acknowledgment. "I understand. It couldn't be avoided, and I was just doing what I could to help."
Shifting my focus to the Nomu, I keep my telekinetic grip steady. It remains motionless, floating behind me. I allow its internal organs to fully regenerate, yet it makes no move to resist. Turning back to Nezu, I ask, "I've loosened my restraints on it. It seems docile. What should I do with it?"
"The police are on their way," Nezu replies cheerfully. "If you could keep it restrained until then, that would be most appreciated."
I nod. As the rest of the class is escorted back to the main campus, I remain behind, waiting for the authorities to arrive.
Soon, multiple police officers arrived, swiftly binding the Nomu before hauling it away. As I expected, it didn't resist. Probably because Tomura and Kurogiri aren't around anymore.
Nezu approached, Detective Tsukauchi following closely behind. With the same polite smile, he spoke, "Mr. Okada, thank you for your help thus far. When you return to the main campus, please meet me in my office. I'd like your account of the villains you encountered."
I nodded before heading back to UA with an officer.
Upon arrival, I was directed to the area where my classmates had gathered.
"Class President!" a chorus of voices called out.
Kirishima grinned as he rushed over, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Glad to see you're alright, man!"
Kaminari walked up as well, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yeah, dude! You were insane out there! That villain didn't even get the chance to talk before you shut him down."
I chuckled as more classmates approached—Tsuyu, Izuku, Momo, and Jiro among them—offering words of gratitude or curiosity.
Soon, everyone was exchanging stories, piecing together different perspectives of the battle as the tension from the attack began to ease, replaced by camaraderie as we processed what had happened together.
However, my time with them was cut short when Lady Nagant approached.
"I've got to go. Nezu wants a statement on the villains." I waved goodbye as I stepped away, falling into stride beside Lady Nagant.
The air between us was thick with unspoken words. I could feel her glancing at me occasionally, hesitation clear in her movements.
'I'll have to speak first.'
"It's nice to see you again, Lady Nagant," I said, my tone steady. "Especially under better circumstances."
Her hands clenched slightly, but her expression remained neutral. "...It's nice to see you too," she replied, though her voice carried a weight of regret.
I could tell—she still felt guilty.
"Do you remember what I told you three years ago?" I asked. "That you were more of a hero to me than most people ever were? I meant it. That day, you saved me."
She turned away slightly. "We both know that's not true… We know why I was there." Her voice was quiet.
"Yeah." I nodded, glancing at her. "But I'm still here, aren't I?"
She didn't respond right away.
I sighed. 'I have to be blunt for her to understand.'
"I know you looked into me. You probably figured it out already, but my quirk awakened that day, in that alley."
She gave a slow nod.
"And truthfully?" My voice remained neutral, but held a cold undertone. "I wouldn't have spared my parents."
Lady Nagant studied me carefully.
"They would've died either way," I continued. "But you stopped a kid from getting blood on his hands. You trusted him. And now, the HPSC has changed most of its policies because of you." I held her gaze. "Do you regret that?"
She exhaled slowly, her voice softer than before. "...I don't."
"Then why regret the actions that led to such a result?" I asked. "Sure, there could have been another way… a better way..." I paused, then added, "But the only thing necessary for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. There are a lot of so called good people who've done nothing. You did something. And because of that, things have changed for the better. That makes you a good person, whether you believe it or not."
For a long moment, she was silent. Then, she sighed and relaxed slightly. "...I'll think about it."
The tension between us eased after that. As we continued walking, she seemed more open and less guarded. Our conversation turned to lighter topics, and she even seemed at ease.
Unfortunately, our chat was cut short as we reached Nezu's office.
She knocked before opening the door.
"Haha, great to see you again, Mr. Okada!" Nezu greeted with a playful smile. Then, he turned to Lady Nagant. "Thank you for bringing him here."
She gave a nod and exited the room, leaving me alone with Nezu.
I nod. "Hello again, Principal Nezu. You said you wanted my account of the villains?"
"Why yes, it would be very helpful if you could tell us everything you know," he responds, his ever-present smile unchanged.
I nod again and begin recounting the events. I stick mostly to the truth—how we were teleported, how I dealt with the villains in the flood zone. But when I reach the fight with the Nomu, I make a deliberate omission.
"The Nomu was extremely durable and could regenerate rapidly. When I damaged its arm to save Aizawa, it recovered almost instantly." I avoid mentioning its shock absorption quirk, since they'd question how I knew it was a quirk and instead offered vague details about how I dealt with Tomura and Kurogiri. I describe immobilizing the Nomu, but not the exact method.
Nezu listens, his smile unchanging, his small paws folded neatly on the desk. But I can tell—he's been analyzing me from the moment I walked in.
"Thank you for your account, Mr. Okada," he finally says, voice unusually serious. "We'll do our best to ensure an incident like this never happens again."
The rare shift in his tone catches my attention, but before I can dwell on it, he's back to his usual self, his playful expression returning.
I take it as my cue to leave. "Thank you for listening. If that's all, I'll take my leave."
But just as I turn, he stops me.
"Ah, before you go, there's just one more thing I'd like to ask." He reaches into his desk and pulls out a small piece of paper.
I suppress a sigh. 'Of course.'
"You wouldn't happen to recognize this handwriting, would you?" His voice is lighthearted, but the glint in his eyes says otherwise.
I glance at the paper. It's the note I gave Nagant three years ago.
"Should I?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, my voice neutral.
Nezu's smile remains as he pulls out another sheet. "This is your written test from the entrance exam. I happened to notice the handwriting looked rather similar. I thought you might know something."
His tone is casual, even a little amused, but I can tell—he's baiting me.
'He definitely suspects it was me. He just wants confirmation.'
Keeping my expression composed, I respond smoothly, "It's unfortunate that I'm unable to be of help." The fake sincerity comes easily. After all, I keep my tone neutral most of the time.
Nezu chuckles. "You know, handwriting analysis is a fascinating field." He taps his paw lightly against the note. "It's incredible what you can learn from just a few strokes of a pen."
"I'm sure it is," I reply evenly.
"The spacing of letters, the pressure of the strokes… a person's entire history can be found in their writing." His eyes lock onto mine, his smile widening. "If one were determined, they could pinpoint exactly who wrote something like this."
The air shifts, tension settling between us.
I remain silent.
Nezu laughs lightly and leans back in his chair. "Of course, I do enjoy solving mysteries." He waves the note playfully. "But it does seem like a lot of effort, considering this is my only clue."
His gaze flickers with amusement as he studies me. "Then again… if the writer were to simply confirm it themselves, I wouldn't have to go through all that trouble."
I sigh internally. 'He's not going to let this go.'
"Seems quite inconvenient, then," I say smoothly. "Since the writer remains unknown."
Nezu's grin widens. "Terribly so."
Another silence. The twinkle in his eyes dims slightly. His expression returns to something more professional.
"Oh well," he says airily. "A mystery remains a mystery for now."
Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he adds, almost offhandedly, "But you know, once I start investigating something, I find it terribly difficult to stop."
My eyes narrow slightly. 'So he's threatening to dig into me.'
I decide to test the waters. "And what would change if you found the person responsible for the note?"
His ears twitch slightly at that. He chuckles. "An interesting question." He lifts his teacup and takes a slow sip. "Perhaps nothing. Perhaps everything."
His tone is casual, but his gaze sharpens.
"It all depends," he says, setting the cup down, "on what their intentions were."
I give him nothing. No reaction, no shift in expression. Just a simple statement:
"Too bad we don't know."
Nezu lets out a soft, amused laugh. "Oh, I do love a good puzzle. And once I start pulling at threads, I tend to unravel the whole tapestry."
I meet his gaze evenly. "Not all mysteries are meant to be solved."
Nezu blinks, intrigued. He doesn't interrupt, so I continue.
"And maybe you're going about it the wrong way," I say smoothly.
His interest sharpens.
"Even if you solve it your way… you might not get the answers you're looking for. Or ones you'll like. Especially if you push too hard for answers not part of the puzzle." I close my eyes briefly before reopening them, crimson meeting black.
"Sometimes," I add, my voice calm but pointed, "the key is to trust the process. Take things slowly. Otherwise, you might find yourself with far more than you can handle."
The room falls silent.
For a long moment, we simply stare at each other. The tension is palpable.
Then, Nezu lets out a thoughtful hum, his smile returning. "Now that… is an intriguing perspective." He taps his desk lightly, his claws making a soft rhythm. "Thank you for your input. I'll give it some thought."
He dismisses me with a nod. I turn and walk toward the door, closing it quietly behind me.
Through my radar, I can still see him. His claws tap idly against the desk as he murmurs to himself,
"Trust, is it?"
His grin stretches wider.
"How fascinating..."