I blame the amazing athanatosora for this plunny.
If you're concerned about triggers and warnings, you can scroll down to the bottom for them. Otherwise, enjoy.
Drops of Poison
Summary: On Nana's grave, Toshinori swears to uphold his promise to his master and bring Sensei to justice. There is a dream he must fulfill. Toshinori's journey from hero in training to All Might to Symbol of Peace. But remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Like drops of poison, it was slow and gradual.
"Master?" Toshinori called out. He had no idea why Nana had called him out this abandoned warehouse, but she had mentioned teaching him a new technique. So perhaps maybe it was dangerous enough that she didn't want anyone around that could get hurt (or potentially, it was simply something she wanted to make sure only he knew).
He pulled open the rusted door, letting out a gasp. "MASTER!" Lying on the ground, bleeding out was Nana, limp like a broken doll. The ground around her dark and wet. Looming over her, hands bloodied, stood a heavily man with broad shoulders.
"Oh? You must be the successor," the man sneered. "I have no time to play with you."
Toshinori let out a scream, dashing forward. His heart pound, rage roaring to life within him. The power of One For All swelled, building stronger and stronger. His muscles expanded, bulking up as Toshinori swung his power enhanced fist.
The man deflected it with ease, like water flowing off his skin. Eyes widening at how easily he had been negated, for a brief moment, Toshinori's resolved wavered. A tiny sliver of doubt rang in his head.
"So weak," the man mocked. "What did she see in you?"
Before Toshinori could do anything else, the man stomped an enhanced leg into the ground, shattering the floor.
When the dust settled, the man was gone. Whirling around, Toshinori glanced in the dark corners, finding nothing. His eyes returned to the stilled body of his teacher, stomach lurching. Toshinori ran over to her. His throat tight and icy grip of fear latched around his heart. Hands trembling, he shook Nana's shoulder. "Master?" he pleaded. "Please, open your eyes! Please!"
Silence.
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Graveyards, a serene and solemn place, heavy and heart wrenching. Toshinori took a deep breath, staring down at the smooth polished stone that bared his teacher's name: Shimura Nana.
It felt like a mockery that the sun was shining so brightly in the blue sky above, that just outside of the boundaries of the graveyard, people carried on with their lives, unaware of the darkness that they had just escaped. He trembled as he remembered what had happened just a short week ago, when his world was turned upside down, violently shaken by the death of his beloved teacher.
He took another fortifying breath. Gran Torino had explained who the man responsible for killing Nana was. Sensei, Nana's nemesis, the criminal mastermind behind majority of the crimes that still plagued society today. Toshinori clenched his hands, hearing the echo of the words he once told Nana.
"I want to become a pillar that supports peace!"
Toshinori felt the rage, hot as an inferno, that burned in his heart, at the injustice of Nana's death, how her killer was still on the loose, how her killer was a criminal mastermind spreading crime and death everywhere.
"I'll find him, Master," Toshinori swore on Nana's grave. "I'll find him and bring him to justice. I'll become that pillar, just like I promised."
His stride was steady and strong as he left the graveyard. There was work to be done.
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Time passed by both too quickly and too slowly. Toshinori threw himself into his herowork. He saved people, brought down villains and maintained that wide smile that Nana had loved. All Might began to climb the ranks of Pro Heroes.
For so long crime had run rampant throughout society, leftovers from the turbulent times when Quirks were new and young. With All Might's appearance though, for the first time, it felt like the Pro Heroes had a fighting chance. Toshinori made it a point to always be available, no matter the request, no matter the time.
"Have no fear for I am here!" All Might boomed as he stopped another robbery. He left the villain tied up, waiting for the police as he returned the stolen cash to the owner of the shop.
"Thank you," the old lady owner aid, grasping his hand in gratitude. Tears of joy flowed from her wrinkled eyes. Toshinori had no doubt that this store was her entire livelihood.
"It brings me such peace to know you're here to help," she told him.
Toshinori puffed out his chest, soaking up the praise. Perhaps his dream was not so far out of reach. He gave the old lady a peace sign. "You can always rely on me!"
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In the dark, despair lurked.
Toshinori wiped his brow and fought to keep his smile wide. "Have no fear for I am here!" he said. He gently reached out to pick up the small child closest to him. The child gave no acknowledge that he was being lifted, lifeless. Another ten more children blankly stared at All Might.
His heart clenched at their blank and empty expression. That familiar rage boiled in his blood, but Toshinori pushed it backed. This had Sensei's handiwork written all over it. Each child was now Quirkless and practically catatonic and unresponsive.
This was unacceptable. How many more bright lights was Sensei planning on stealing from. How far did his greed run that he contained to steal Quirk after Quirk?
Sensei must be brought down at all cost.
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"Do you think she'll be proud?" Toshinori asked.
"Of course kid," Gran Torino gruffly said.
They had found themselves at a local bar, gathered for the second anniversary of Nana's death. Gran poured Toshinori a shot of sake before filling a third, untouched, cup. Around them the bar was noisy and lively; a scene Nana would have appreciated.
"It's hard living up to her legacy," Toshinori said quietly, swishing his cup, looking at the swirling clear alcohol.
"You're doing fine," Gran reassured him. "You've achieved your dream, right? To be a pillar of support."
"Sensei is still out there," Toshinori said bitterly, resting his elbows on the counter.
"No word on his actual movements," Gran agreed, equally bitterly.
If Toshinori threw himself into hunting leads regarding Sensei, Gran had run himself into the ground. His last remaining teacher looked wearily and tired. Nana's death left a gaping hole in their heart.
"The man disappeared into the shadows," Gran said, drowning his shot of sake. "We know he's on the move, but there are no clues as to where he's hiding. He's got a lot of fingers in a lot of pies."
Toshinori darkly agreed. It seemed every lead that Toshinori hunted down, he encountered yet another dark part of the seedy underworld. There was a human trafficking ring three months ago, a drug ring last week, and a couple bomb scares. But none of the mastermind himself.
It was like he was chasing a ghost.
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"This is Hiyono Yuizaki reporting to you live from Tokyo!" a cheerful blond woman greeted the camera. "Just moments ago, we saw All Might receive a medal of honor from the Prime Minister for all the hard work he has done. It has been about two years since All Might made his debut. Since then we have seen a sharp decrease in crime, the first in decades! I have with me here All Might himself."
She turned to her companion who had been waiting patiently. Holding her microphone up to the taller hero, Hiyono asked, "So All Might how does it feel to be known as the Symbol of Peace? Experts everywhere are contributing the recent decline in crime thanks to your hard work this past year!"
All Might rubbed the back of his head. His smile stretched wide. "No, no. I couldn't do it without the help of the other Pro Heroes and the police. We have all worked hard to bring down the crime rate. For too long society has been without a strong pillar to support it. It is humbling to know that so many people have supported my dream of peace."
"Ah! What a wonderful dream that is!" Hiyono said. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the hard work you do."
All Might gave a thumbs up, his smile sparkling in the light. "There's no need to fear for I am here!"
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Toshinori traveled. As the Number 1 Hero, he was high in demand as the stories about him grew little by little. He loved that he got to finally see America, a childhood dream of his. There were plenty of Pro Heroes to meet, new cultures to observe, and peace and justice to spread.
"Thank you for meeting me!" All Might boomed giving a deep bow. He smiled and waved at his adoring fans that had come to the park for the meet and greet event.
Mentally, he chuckled at how many of them were wearing the newly released All Might Parka. It was a good design choice it seemed. He hadn't expected it to be so popular. As far as he knew, they were still sold out, despite having been released (and frequently restocked) over the last four months. The factories couldn't keep up with the demand.
Toshinori felt his soul warm at all the smiling faces. This was what he wanted.
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Toshinori hung up another thank you letter he had received to his wall. He kept all of his fan mail as a reminder of what he was doing and how far he had come. As the amount he received grew too large to be pinned to the wall, Toshinori took to pinning his favorites to the wall and carefully scrapbooking the rest.
Being the Number 1 Hero and the Symbol of Peace of exhausting, but the reward was paying off. According to the experts, crime was slowly beginning to decline. Toshinori had been tirelessly hunting down leads regarding Sensei, determined to bring Nana's killer to justice. The results of these hunts had led to multiple crime rings being broken apart.
It seemed Sensei had organized more crimes than originally thought. Nana had, once, briefly spoke of the kind of villain he was, but it felt like the root of all crime started with this man.
"I'll get him, Master," Toshinori vowed.
With Sensei behind bars, the world can rest more easily.
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They say time heals all wounds. Toshinori found that tidbit to be a lie. But life did continue onward, marching forward with no rhyme or reason, never stopping no matter how one begged and plead for a break.
Which was why, on the third anniversary of Nana's death, instead of drowning his sorrows with Gran and mourning the loss of his teacher, Toshinori found himself at the police station.
"What's the status, sir?" Toshinori asked, arriving to the police taskforce's debriefing room.
Police Chief Takagi greeted him. Over the years, the relationship with the police officers and All Might had solidified into a strong partnership. There was still some resentment on the police part regarding Pro Heroes in general, but Toshinori's bright personality and friendly nature had made him an easy person to work with. When the police needed a Pro Hero assistance, they called All Might first.
"It's bad," Takagi grimly confessed. "This morning there was a robbery at Hibara Pharmaceutical. They were researching a biochemical weapon: APTX 4869. A virus that if it gets airborne, it will kill thousands of people."
Scowling hard, Takagi took a moment to rub his hand over his face in frustration. "My officers are already spread out across the city. We sent out a media alert, telling people to stay indoors and not to go out but most people are already out and about for the day. The scientists at Hibara Pharmaceutical informed me that there is a self-destruct string in the virus. It's useless after 24 hours, but…"
"24 hours is still a lot of time to do damage," Toshinori finished.
Takagi nodded. "Yeah." He gestured to the criminal being held in interrogation. "We caught one of the criminals when responding to the robbery this morning, but the rest got away. This one isn't speaking as to what their plans are."
Toshinori stroked his chin in a thoughtful manner, observing through the one way mirror a man handcuffed to the table. He was dressed in black, stoutly and wide.
"His name is Vodka," Takagi said with a touch of weariness. "Apart of the Black Gang, a group known for their violence. It was pure luck that we caught him. We don't know much about the gang outside of their alcohol codenames and inclination for wearing black."
"Chief! There was an explosion at Beika Station! The virus is airborne!" shouted an officer, barging into the room.
"What?!" Takagi shouted. "Get Hazmat over there! How many are infected? Who can work on containment?"
"Sir! Reports are Pro Hero KID threw up one of his trick rooms the second he realized the virus was airborne. He was trying to stop the villain known as Snake from releasing it but failed. He has Snake arrested, but couldn't stop the bomb from going off."
Toshinori drew in a sharp breath. "That means everyone in at the station is contaminated," he said horrified. KID's Quirk, Trick Room, was much like a magician's box. He could teleport himself, people, objects in and out of it. Nothing left KID's Trick Room unless he allowed it.
He flung open the door and grabbed Vodka by the collar of his suit, slamming him against the wall. All Might loomed over him, so large. It would be easy to lift the smaller man off the ground. "Where else is being targeted?" All Might barked.
"You're all bark and no bite," Vodka sneered. "You don't scare me."
All Might lifted him off the ground, choking him by the collar. There were lives at stake! This wasn't a game! There was no time to beat around the bush. He grabbed Vodka's flailing hand, and began to squeeze it. With his strength, it didn't take much pressure before Vodka's face twisted into pain.
"Suzuki Corporation's Headquarters," Vodka gasped, tears leaking from his eyes. "Mori Park and Hattori Stadium. Each one staggered 30 minutes apart."
"Thank you," All Might said stiffly, dropping Vodka. He hadn't wanted to do that, but there wasn't time left. Those were all high populated locations. Thousands of civilians visited those places every day.
Just as he was about to exit, Vodka wheezed out a laugh.
"Sensei sends his regards," Vodka said.
A chill ran down Toshinori's spine. He clenched his fist, feeling his blood beginning to boil. He should have known Sensei was behind this.
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All Might raced to the first location: Suzuki Corporation's Headquarters. As one of the largest business in the country, Suzuki Corporation housed in their headquarters just over 70,000 employees.
Takagi had dispatched officers to each location, but All Might was faster. Within minutes of arriving at tall silver tower that housed Suzuki Corporation, All Might spotted a man in a black suit and light brown hair approaching the building.
"That's Bourdon. He's a part of the same gang," Takagi's voice sounded over the earwig that All Might was wearing.
In that case, All Might wouldn't hold back. "DETROIT SMASH!"
Bourdon screamed as the force of All Might's attack hit him.
All Might stepped over the unconscious body, silver canister secured.
"Officer Kudo has secured Vermouth at Mori Park," Takagi reported. Takagi's Quirk was a camera lens Quirk, allowing him to see what his Officers see, like watching multiple screens at the same time. He truly was the brain of operations in the Police Force. "Officer Shiratori and the bomb squad is enroute to your location. ETA one minute. Please entrust the canister to him before proceeding to Hattori Stadium."
"Understood," All Might said.
With the arrival of Officer Shiratori, All Might handed off the canister and jumped, bounding towards Hattori Stadium.
"The last member should be Gin," Takagi reported. "He often wears a black trench coat and has silver hair. Careful, he has a sniper shooting Quirk."
Hattori Stadium came into view; a loud cheer could be heard. A soccer game was on today, the Tokyo Spirits vs Big Osaka, the championships. A prime target for an attack.
It didn't take All Might long to spot Gin. In the sea of red and green fans, the lone black spot stood out. He jumped, landing on the ground, leaving behind a large dent. His serious expression immediately had bystanders scrambling to dive out the way.
Gin spotted him, summoning a large gun and firing at him. All Might grabbed the bullet, shattering it.
"TEXAS SMASH!"
Gin went flying.
Mission accomplished.
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"Hiyono Yuizaki reporting! As you know, over the last several hours there has been an attempt at a biochemical attack at various popular locations. Thanks to the timely intervention of the Police and All Might, majority of these attacks have been prevented.
"Unfortunately, the attack at Beika Station went off. Thanks to Pro Hero KID, it was largely contained to the station, unable to spread further. Still there are currently over four hundred people reported to be infected by APTX 4869. According to sources, most will not survive the night. Please keep these people in your thoughts."
Ignoring the chatter of the TV, All Might ghosted down the white halls of the hospital with a solemn expression. Around him, doctors and nurses rushed about, trying to attend to as many patients as possible. The air was sterile, stale and cold. Moans and cries could be heard, so many suffering as a result of him not being fast enough.
Especially Pro Hero KID. Of everyone rushed to the hospital, KID had taken the brute of the attack, being at ground zoom. Donning protective gear, All Might stepped into the secure quarantine room that KID was being kept in. The quiet beeps of monitors and the hiss of the oxygen mask filled the room.
"'He's so young,' Toshinori mourned. KID was a relatively new hero, having just recently graduated from Yuuei like Toshinori had. KID had soared into popularity, a white magician, using the full extent of his Trick Room Quirk and slight of hands tricks. He had gained quite a following and was expected to be one of the best heroes of his generation.
He was also very young. "All Might," KID said, grinning. His tired blue eyes sparkled with awe. "It's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is mines, my friend," All Might said. Yes, the news might say he was the one responsible for stopping the attacks, but in Toshinori's book, the real hero was the one who kept the first attack contained.
Without KID, thousands more would be dying right now.
"I wasn't fast enough," KID said with a touch of anger. "How many other people are here in this hospital with me? The doctors wouldn't say."
All Might remained silent, not wanting to answer him. "Don't worry about that right now," he said. "You should focus on getting better."
KID let out a bitter laugh. "I know I'm not going to live to see tomorrow."
His words were said with such finality that Toshinori was temporarily rendered speechless.
KID smiled at him. "I knew the risks, but I had the longest and highest exposure of everyone on the premise." He coughed, spitting up blood. "I can't feel anything because they have me on the best painkillers, but the virus is currently tearing my body apart."
"KID…"
"You got them though right?" KID asked. His face growing even more ashen. "The villains responsible."
All Might nodded. "Yes." But not the mastermind.
"Good," KID said. He gasped, trying to take in more air. "Good. Then at least I did something good with my life." The monitors starting feeling, alarms going off. He gave All Might a watery smile as doctors and nurses rushed into his room. "It was nice to meet you."
"Sir! Please we need you to leave!"
Toshinori bowed his head. "The pleasure is mines."
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Graveyards, Toshinori found, were still a terrible place to be. Much like the last time, the mockery of the sun shined too brightly on this solemn day. He stared down on the white polished stone, reading the newly etched engraving.
Kuroba Kaito
KID
Beloved hero
Son and friend
"He wasn't even twenty," Toshinori whispered.
"That's the life of a Pro Hero," Officer Kudo said, coming up to next to him. "Kaito wanted nothing more than to save people. He lost his father when he was a kid in an accident."
"Know him well?" Toshinori asked. They looked a little similar. Brown hair and blue eyes and a lankiness that both shared.
"Cousins," Kudo said sadly.
"My sympathies," Toshinori said.
"Thank you sir," Kudo said. He bowed as he left, leaving Toshinori behind to go and comfort his grieving family.
Toshinori looked at the polished gravestone. He hadn't met KID before his visit to the hospital. But everything he had heard today, told him that the world has lost a bright soul far too early.
One more reason to bring down Sensei.
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Hidden away in a bunker far, far away, Sensei reviewed the video footage his lackeys had been able to obtain for him. There was only so much chaos he could observe from the news footage. All Might had stopped his coordinated attack far too easily. If he had known that there was going to be a leak, he would have ensured that all of the biochemical bombs would had gone off at the same time.
He paused the video as All Might squeezed Vodka's hand with enough pressure to break Vodka's hand.
Resting his fist against his cheek, Sensei hummed as he leaned back in his chair. "Interesting…" A smile spread across his face.
"How very interesting."
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"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Umino Iruka. On tonight's show, we'll be covering the decrease in crime activity," the brown-haired television host said. He gestured to the graph that displayed next to him.
"Many of us are still young enough to remember, how growing up crime was at an all-time high for many years. This general lawless era coincides largely with the awakening of Quirks and their growing spread as more and more people were born with Quirks and started to abuse their powers. More than one war, both international and civil, broke out as governments tried to control those with Quirks. Many Quirk users abused their powers and crime ran rampant.
"So for the first time in decades, we've started to see a decrease in criminal activities!' Iruka cheerfully reported. "Experts are attributing most of this to the appearance of the Symbol of Peace, Number 1 Pro Hero, All Might."
The image next to Iruka flickered, showing a picture of Police Chief Takagi shaking hands with All Might.
"Six months ago, there was a biochemical attack at Beika Station. Three other attempts were made, but were prevented, largely thanks to the quick response of the Police and All Might. This attack spurred the police and the Pro Hero Association into action. With All Might at the spearhead, a crackdown on crime has gone into effect," Iruka said.
"Their efforts have certainly paid off. For the first time, there haven't been any major villain attacks these past six months. Even violent crimes seem to have tamper off a bit. It's seems that we're finally tackling the roots of organized crime.
"Will this trend continue? Only time will tell, but with All Might here, I think it's safe to say we're in safe hands."
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"Should we inform the police about Sensei?" Toshinori asked.
He was over at Gran's place once more, seeking advice regarding the shady criminal mastermind. It was good that crime was dropping, but it still wasn't enough. People still feared walking outside at night. Just the other day, there was a killing spree by a rogue Quirk user. It wasn't enough.
"We don't know how far his reach is. Even Nana hesitated to tell them. Sensei might have moles in the police force," Gran pointed out.
Toshinori flopped backwards, laying down on the cold hard floor. He stared up at the ceiling fan as spun. "We're not getting anywhere though. It's been dead end after dead end."
Gran hesitated. "It's up to you," he gruffly said. "You're Nana's successor. If you think you can trust them and that they can help, tell them. It isn't like Sensei isn't unaware of who you are."
The next day Toshinori met up with Police Commissioner Megure.
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"Missouri Smash!"
All Might knocked out another villain. He took a deep breath, trying to sharpen his concentration. Taking stock of those around him, he spotted Pro Hero Zangetsu slicing down villain after villain in the distance. A pillar of ice rose in the distance, followed by flashes of yellow.
There had been a jailbreak. All Might had been one of the first responders. Thousands of villains were trying to escape.
'No!' Toshinori thought. 'All the hard work over the last year!' Everyone, Pro Heroes and the Police Force alike had put away so many villains. It was going to be all for naught if these villains escaped. If they escaped, the cycle of crime would just continue onward, never breaking.
Was peace just a fleeting dream?
No.
No!
He refused to give up.
Summoning up all of his power, All Might delivered a devastating punch. "UNITED STATES OF SMASH!"
The shockwave rippled outward. Villains began to follow over, dropping like dead flies. The fighting stopped and the battlefield quieted. All Might staggered, completely drained.
Silence.
Toshinori took a deep breath, his vision swarming, growing spotty as he tried to remain alert. Did he get them all? His legs gave out, but before he hit the ground, there was a yellow flash and someone caught him.
"All Might! Are you alright?"
All Might gave a shaky thumbs up. It was Yondaime who caught him, one of the many Pro Heroes who came with him to the jailbreak. "Of course, just a little tired. Did you get the ones that made it to the docks?"
Yondaime's Quirk, the Hiraishin, allowed the blond-haired man to teleport anywhere with his sigil which he created with just a touch. Even without his Quirk, his speed herald him as one of the fastest heroes in history.
"Of course. It was easy enough to teleport them and for Hyōrinmaru to keep them trapped in his ice. And it looks like you knocked out the rest of them here," Yondaime said with a grin. "Let's get you to the hospital. The police can deal with the rest."
Toshinori let out a mental sigh of relief. At least this jailbreak was prevented.
But this couldn't happen again.
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Cherry blossoms were in the air.
Toshinori smiled as the bright pink petals flew everywhere, dancing on the wind. The park was crowded as many families settled down for viewing the cherry blossoms. For once, no one paid him any attention, instead focusing on their families and grand trees.
"My mommy gave me sparklers!"
"Who needs sparklers! I can make a bigger spark!"
A crackle of lightning snapped in the background, followed by the smell of smoke. Toshinori whirled around, just in time to see a raging fire. The flying pink petals, once a beautiful thing, now carrying the flying embers farther. Screams ran as panic bubbled, breaking the surface.
"Have no fear for I am here!" All Might boomed. After sending a distress call, he began to rescue as many people from the flames. He scooped two children who were trapped.
"Deep Submerge!"
A tidal wave of water came crashing down, extinguishing the fire.
"Neptune!" All Might greeted the green haired woman.
"All Might," she shouted. "What happened?"
"We're sorry," the black-haired girl said. "Lambo didn't mean to."
"I just wanted to show I-pin a bigger spark!" Lambo protested.
"What you did was very dangerous," Neptune scolded Lambo.
Lambo hunched his shoulders, shrinking into himself.
"Do you need any help? All Might asked.
Neptune shook her head. "No. Go help the people evacuate. I'll ensure all the fire is out."
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"How did it go?" Gran asked, waiting for Toshinori in the lobby.
Toshinori grinned, giving Gran a thumbs up as he exited the room. "The law will be passed. In order to prevent an accident like the park from happening again, there is now a ban on using one's Quirk in public spaces like parks, train stations, unless in self-defense, rescue or safety of others."
"Humph, well it'll certainly make the villains easier to spot. They'll be ones ignoring that law," Gran said, crossing his arms.
"There was quite a bit of protest against this law," Toshinori remarked. "Even though he was just a child and really can't be held accountable or responsible for the fact that his parents didn't teach him control or keep an eye on him, the truth of the matter is that this isn't the first incident like this. I just hope it will be the last."
"Well it's a madhouse out there," Gran said, pointing to the grand wooden doors that led outside.
Toshinori could already see the countless people plastered themselves against the window, trying to peek inside. Every reporter was most likely out there. He braced himself. Toshinori had known it was going to play out like this when he became the spokesperson for the new law. Many would protest it, but no one realized how much safer they would be for it.
"Well, let's get it over with," Toshinori said, drawing on his courage.
He strolled out the door, smile wide. The reporters instantly swarmed him like a crowd of angry bees.
"ALL MIGHT IS TRUE THAT NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR QUIRK IN PUBLIC PLACES ANYMORE?"
"COUNTLESS PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING THIS NEW LAW. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"
This was for the best for everyone.
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"You must be Eraserhead!"
Aizawa Shouta blinked his tired and strained eyes to see All Might standing in front of him. What did the world's Number 1 Hero want with him?
"Yes, nice to meet you," Shouta said. He hunched further into his uncomfortable plastic chair, clutching his now cold coffee. All around him, police officers darted back and forth like squirrels on caffeine, busy at work. Shouta ignored it, wanting desperately nothing more than to crawl into his sleeping bag and rest.
All Might beamed. Shouta winced. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that All Might ran on some infinite cheer and sunshine. No one's teeth should be that bright.
"You did a great job today! Today was one of the rare days where villain didn't try to escape during transport," All Might said.
Shouta's eye throbbed. Exactly. He had to keep his eyes on the villain during transport to the police station. "Still wasn't enough to stop him before he killed twenty people," Shouta said bitterly. Learning that they couldn't save everyone was possibly the hardest lesson to learn and one Shouta was still struggling with, despite being a hero for a little over a year now.
"Yes," All Might said solemnly, all trace of cheer leaving him. "No one is sure how he was getting his information. Each target on the surface seemed random, making tracking him very hard."
Shouta's eyes narrowed. "But you know something."
All Might didn't say anything.
What did Shouta miss?
Akabane Kuroudou, dubbed Dr. Jackal by the media, was a serial killer who had a deadly scalpels Quirk. He left behind a trail of butchered bodies, each one precisely done like a surgeon. Shouta had been part of the taskforce hunting him for months. It had been pure luck that they had caught him today. The former doctor was a madman, killing for the sake of killing.
"Eraserhead, All Might."
"Detective Hidari."
Hidari lifted his fedora and ran a hand through his brown hair. "You were right, sir. Philip confirmed it. Akabane was originally registered with a blood Quirk."
Like a bolt from the blue, Shouta snapped to attention. His cold coffee spilled as he startled. "What? He was generating scalpels out of thin air. Those two abilities aren't even remotely close. It can't be his Quirk evolve!"
Hidari grimaced. "We don't believe he still has his blood Quirk. If he did, we would have found mummified bodies instead of butchered ones."
"That's impossible!" Shouta snapped. "You can't just swap Quirks!"
Then he noticed that All Might hadn't said anything, wasn't reacting in the same outrage as Shouta. "It is impossible, right?" Shouta asked, scowling darkly.
"So, he's moved onto creating serial killers to cause chaos," All Might said softly. "Detective Hidari, we must find out what he knows about Sensei."
"Understood," Hidari said.
"Walk with me Aizawa," Toshinori said. "I will fill you in on the criminal mastermind named Sensei."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
In a dark government office, a group of people gathered.
"Sensei has remained a thorn in society's side for too long!"
"We've been hunting the man for the last two years since All Might has brought him to our attention!"
"The criminals whom we have connected to Sensei don't know anything useful."
"One of them must know something!"
"So let's just interrogate them all."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Toshinori waited for the first villain to be brought into the interrogation room. The government had given the approval to obtain by any means necessary, short of torture, to confirm if each villain had a connection to Sensei or not.
Yamanaka Ino who had a telepathy Quirk was brought in to dive into their memories.
A small vicious voice whispered in Toshinori, wondering the justice of such an inhumane method of reviving information, but…
The image of Nana's dead and broken body in his arms flashed through his head. Five long years of hunting. Five long years and a dead teacher Toshinori could not put to rest. Five long years and multiple villain attacks, one after another and countless civilians dead.
"For the safety of the people, this is for the best."
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"That was a wonderful lecture Yagi-san," Nedzu said. "Thank you for taking the time to visit your alma mater as a guest speaker. You're an inspiration to the students."
Toshinori smiled. "Thank you for having me. It was no trouble. There's always going to need more heroes."
"Well thanks to your efforts, crime has hit an all-time record low. Even before the manifestation of Quirks, it hasn't been this low before," Nedzu said. "At this rate, there won't be a need for heroes anymore."
Toshinori paused to think about that. He had always wanted to be a pillar of support, a Symbol of Peace. That was the promise he had made to Nana and he felt he had achieved it, but was he simply thinking too small? Was it possible for a world without any crime to exist?
That was something to think about.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
There was a chill in the air. Snow crunched underfoot, wet and slippery. Toshinori held in his hands a bag of groceries, preparing to make hot pot for dinner tonight. As he walked down his street, he caught out of the corner of his eye a blue haired woman pickpocketing another pair of women.
Their thick coats prevented both women from noticing that the blue haired one was using a thread Quirk to undo the stitching of their bags, catching their wallets that came tumbling out.
"Stop!" All Might boomed. "Return those wallets!"
The blue haired woman snapped to attention. She threw up a thread, catching the height of the tall buildings and swung away. All Might darted after her.
"NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH!"
He went flying, smashing into the pickpocketer and knocking her down from the sky.
"Stealing is a crime!" All Might said, standing over the unconscious body of the woman. "You'll be coming with me to the police!"
'Hmm,' Toshinori thought. 'I've always focused on major crimes, but these small minor crimes, how can I persuade people not to commit them?'
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It was a slow day at Wildkat. So slow that the owner, Sanae took a seat at the counter and grabbed the newspaper. There was only one other customer in the cafe and it was Joshua who could care less about what Sanae did.
"A new law was passed, huh?" Sanae said, reading the headlines. In big bold letters, it was announced that the punishment for crimes were being increased. Fines were now higher, imprisonment longer. All Might had championed another law, bring forth more stability and peace to society.
"That's a good thing, right?" Neku, the sole employee of Wildkat, asked. He wiped clean one of the coffee mugs and put it away.
"It depends," Joshua drawled from his seat on the couch, tapping away at his phone.
"On what?" Neku questioned, eyebrow raised. "This should deter anyone from thinking about committing a crime now. Even idiots have common sense."
"If that's what you think, then so be it," Joshua said.
"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in your head," Neku snapped.
"And sometimes I wonder why you're so blind."
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Nami scowled as she was once again fired from her job. She had done nothing wrong this time. The register showed that it was short ten dollars and Nami had been blamed. Sure, she had pickpocketed a bunch of people in high school. It had landed her in hot water and she served a small stint in juvenile jail for a little under a year. But she was trying to be a responsible adult and pay for her supposedly future university career.
Except finding a job, any job, that would keep her for longer than three months was improving to be possible.
"Hi I see you're looking for help," Nami said, entering the convenience store, her sixth attempt of the day. She offered her resume.
The owner, a stern grim looking man, took one look at it before throwing it back at her. "We don't hire villains here," he snapped. "Don't ever come back."
Nami grit her teeth and left. Impossible! You go to jail once and even if you get free, it was impossible to go 'straight' because no one wanted to help. How was she supposed to pay for college? Her parents were dead and in so much debt, that was the entire reason why she had turned to pickpocketing in the first place.
"Sorry!" Nami said, just narrowly bumping into a businessman rushing pass her.
In her hands was his wallet. Nami bit her lip. Her ability to pickpockets hadn't deteriorated. Really, she should return it or at least toss it. If she was caught again, there would be no release from jail this time. The new law saw to that.
But…
But… she didn't have enough money for rent yet and she had been searching for a new job all day. Softly she sighed. Just this once, until she could find a new job. All Nami had to do was make sure she didn't caught again.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Congratulations on your retirement," Toshinori said, pulling up a seat next to Gran.
Gran gave him a flat look before returning to his ramen noodles. "Finally showed up?"
"I've been busy," Toshinori said sheepishly. He flagged down the cart owner and gave his order.
"I know," Gran said, slurping up his noodles. "New laws in place, crimes fighting and rescuing kittens. You've become a regular superstar."
Toshinori accepted his bowl of ramen from the cart owner, giving a nod of thanks. "Yes. I've been in high demand lately."
Gran snorted. "Well, you must be doing something right. Major villain attacks are rare these days. Even minor crimes are being to dwindle. Sensei must be running out of bolt holes to hide in."
"I've been dreaming of a world without crime," Toshinori confined. "A world so safe, that people like Master would never have to give up their children to protect them."
Grief, old and worn, hung between them. Seven long years Nana had been dead and neither of them had been really recovered from it.
"To a better world then?" Gran asked.
"To a better world," Toshinori agreed.
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"Hahi! Is it amazing, Kyoko?"
"What is, Haru?" Kyoko asked.
Haru spun around. "It's so peaceful these days. I remember when I was really small how it was always dangerous to go outside. A few years ago, father would have been so upset that I was out this late with you, as the sun was beginning to set!"
Kyoko nodded in agreement. She stepped through the door of the bakery, listening to the door chime. "I know," she agreed. "Ryohei-nii still worries, but it has been really peaceful lately."
"It's like utopia, a new era of peace," Haru said. "I'll treat you to cake today!"
As both girls browsed the different choices, they didn't notice the man in a black jacket with red clouds, scowling at them beneath his dark hood.
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Obito scowled at those two teenage girls who chattered about utopia and ultimate peace. 'Blind fools,' he thought. 'It isn't utopia. It's a witch hunt.'
He pulled out the scrap of paper with a string of numbers on it. An offer had been made, he just had to decide if it was worth it. On one hand, this society was going to crap. It needed to be destroyed and made anew.
But he was tired of fighting.
As he exited the bakery, the hairs on the back of his neck stood. Obito picked up his pace; the setting sun cast long shadows.
Descending from above, someone dropped in front of him. Obito cursed; his eyes flashing red, before he felt this Quirk snap shut. He hissed. "Eraserhead." Eraserhead was quickly becoming the bane of every villain in existence.
"Uchiha Obito," Eraserhead said. "You're under arrest."
"I haven't done anything!" Obito said.
"We know you've been in contact with Sensei. You may have not done anything else, but that just means we stopped you before your plan started," Eraserhead said. "You will be coming with me to police."
"Fucking witch hunt," Obito snarled.
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Sensei leaned back in his chair, countless monitors spread out in front of him. They displayed all sorts of curious news, footage he had managed to obtain of inside the police station, and monitoring of his various projects.
One screen displayed the might and proud All Might, heralding in another law for the safety of the public.
Sensei smirked. "I must say. He's doing an even better job than I thought."
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It had been a rare major coordinated attack. It reeked of desperation, like one last ploy, one final hurrah. Maybe it meant Sensei was giving up, maybe it meant they finally were closing in on him.
Kurogiri, a black mist portal user, was dropping villains all over the city in masses. The worse was the artificial humans calling themselves Noumu. Overwhelming powerful, these mindless beasts couldn't be reasoned with, held no fear, and couldn't feel any pair. An entire army of them ravaging the city, destroying and killing anyone in their path.
Leading them were other villains of various strength and abilities. Most of them young teenagers, foolish and hardheaded. The death toll leap higher and higher as thousands were caught in the crossfire.
Toshinori looked around in horror. He gently cradled the small body of a young boy. His too large glasses crushed, blue eyes lifelessly staring up at him, reminding Toshinori too much of KID. He reached up, closing those eyes, mourning the loss of another bright soul. He had been too late.
The volcanic anger within him erupted, bursting forth. His blood boiled, fist clenched and for once his smile dropped. The rage howled within him, like a rabid beast burst free of its chains.
"You can't stop us," taunted the young leader with purple hair, pointing a trident at All Might. A wide smirk crossed his face; his mismatched eyes gleaming.
All Might flexed, building up power. "UNITED STATES OF SMASH!"
The shockwave rippled out, sweeping out and destroying everything. He jumped forward, grabbing the young leader by his throat and throwing him at Noumu. All Might charged forward, hitting them both of them with a powerful punch.
There was a sharp crack, but he paid no attention to it. Another Noumu flew towards him, its wings spread and wide. All Might grabbed one of its wings and pulled, tearing the flesh apart.
All Might flicked his hand, the blood spattering to the ground. He left the battered bodies behind, attacking the next villain. A group of them were beginning to gather around him. One of All pulsed with him, stockpiling the power, growing larger and larger. He raised his fist, muscles expanding.
"UNITED STATES OF SMASH!"
It was time to end this.
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Toshinori staggered into the makeshift relief tent. His side was bleeding, his body ached, his knuckles were bloodied, but finally, finally, the fighting was done. Other heroes were inside, far more injured than him. Midnight was getting her leg healed by Recovery Girl, Present Mic sipping on hot tea and Eraserhead had an ice pack over his eyes.
People were still scrambling. The reported estimated death toll was reaching the thousands. Villains, heroes, and civilians alike were dead.
"This cannot happen against," Toshinori said as he sagged with exhaustion. He closed his eyes, mourning the loss of life.
"Many of the villains this time, the ones who weren't mindless animals, were problem teenagers," Endeavor said, entering the tent.
All Might pondered that. This time, Sensei had taken the young, molding those who were on the edge, those capable of becoming villains. The problem children, the ones with violent tempers and lacking in empathy. The ones who could manipulate others without remorse. The ones that became gang members, violence running in their blood and a want of power. Those were the warriors that Sensei relied on.
This tragedy could never happen again.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Ten years after Nana's death, a young boy with green eyes looked up at Toshinori with horror and tears in his eyes. In a broken voice, he asked, "What did Kacchan do that you killed him?"
Toshinori felt a wave of pity. He was young. He didn't understand just yet. "Oh my boy," Toshinori said. "This is for the greater good. I cannot allow your friend to become a villain. He was dangerous."
Bakugou Katsuki was reported to have a violent temper and streak of bullying to his record. His Quirk was violent and dangerous, mixed with his temper, there had been no shortage of explosion around him. He was danger and Toshinori had decided to prevent it.
"HE WAS FOURTEEN!"
"You'll understand when you're older," Toshinori said kindly, reaching out to him. Sensei was still at large and peace still tentatively only held on. For a world without crime, Toshinori must take this step. "You'll see why I'm right."
The boy shook his head, stepping away from Toshinori's bloodstained hands.
"I hope I never do."
Warnings: Character Death, Villain!AU, Knight/Tautological-Templar!All Might AU,
Yes, this is my Road to Hell AU finally written. (which you can find on my tumblr)
Every character you see in this fic, if they aren't canon, they're a cameo to an existing series. Cookies if you get them all.
I'm really proud of how this turned out. This isn't my usual cup of tea and I'm kinda proud for finishing it.
Please leave a review on your way out.