Chapter 31 - The Truth

The Hero Killer Stain lay in a hospital bed. He didn't know how long he had been there, as he had been drifting in and out of consciousness as the hospital staff worked on him. Now he was fully awake, handcuffed and surrounded by police. But today, he had another visitor: The Dark Knight himself. For the past few hours, he had been interrogating the Hero Killer on his connections to both the League of Villains, trying to gather intel on their operations.

"You're wasting your time, Dark Knight," said Stain. "I have nothing to say to you."

Batman pulled up a holographic image on his gauntlet computer. It was an image of Stain standing on a rooftop with Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri. "You were seen with two known members of the League of Villains," Said Batman. "Their highest ranking members. You are connected with the League, assassin, that much is known. Now tell me what I want to know."

"I don't have anything to tell you," Said Stain, sneering. "Shigaraki is a fool who lacks conviction. I would have killed him tonight myself if I hadn't been stopped by your whelp and his friends."

"You got off easy," said Batman.

"Perhaps," said Stain. "You trained your boy well, Dark Knight. He is worthy, even at such a young age. Perhaps one day he will fulfill the destiny you have rejected and succeed the Master as Head of the Demon."

"Ra's won't come near him," snarled Batman. "And neither will you."

"It's not me you should be concerned about, Batman," Said Stain.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shigaraki has it out for your boy," Said Stain. "He wants him dead, almost as much as he does All Might. And when it comes to Shigaraki, the only true convictions he has are in death and destruction. You better hope that your training is enough, Dark Knight. Your ward is marked for death." At these words, Batman said nothing, simply turning on his heel and walking out the room into the hospital hallway, where the thinly All Might was waiting for him.

"Young Midoriya. . ." said All Might, concerned. "This is bad."

"It can't be helped," Said Batman. "He's involved now, whether we like it or not."

"What do we do?" Said All Might.

"We have to tell him the truth," Said Batman. "Your Quirk. The League. All For One. All of it."

Izuku had never been so hounded in all his life.

Ever since it became public that he took down the Hero killer, everyone wanted a piece of him. Reporters had flocked outside of the hospital he was recovering in in hopes to get the inside scoop. They were turned away by the police and hospital security, but they were persistent nonetheless. One daring reporter even dressed up as hospital staff in an attempt to get an interview with Izuku. Thankfully she was recognized and escorted out by security before she reached him.

Izuku had spent a few hours going through the texts that he had received. Most of them were from his classmates, all wanting details on the situation. Uraraka had been the first one to call him, and after enduring a long scolding from her about taking on dangerous villains, Izuku explained his cover story to her and then to the rest of his classmates, which had been prepared for him by the Hosu Chief of Police: he was separated from Nightwing during the Nomu attack, and had stumbled upon the Hero Killer by accident, who had attacked him after mistaking him for a hero. He had managed to subdue Stain long enough for the Pro Heroes to show up and take him away. Luckily, there weren't many witnesses, and the Pros that were there corroborated the story, as they felt he deserved the credit just as much as Todoroki and Iida felt he did. They accepted his story, and they all pressed him for more details, but he retained his silence, sticking only to the cover story. He had a feeling, however, that he wouldn't hear the last of it when he returned to school.

But that was the least of Izuku's concerns.

Izuku was standing outside his apartment building, waiting for Alfred to pick him up, lost in thought. Alfred, Bruce and Dick had all stayed in Japan, picking up on the lead on the Sludge Villain. He hadn't heard much about over the past few days. It was only a small lead, and he had managed to evade them for over a year, but Bruce assured him that the ground was slowly shrinking beneath the villain's feet, and he wouldn't be able to hide much longer.

Izuku was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of Alfred pulling up in the Rolls Royce. He stepped out of the car and opened the door for Izuku, a gesture that always made him uncomfortable, but Alfred would hear none of it.

"Good morning, Master Midoriya," Said Alfred, nodding to him. "Or should I say, 'The Hero Deku?'"

"Good morning, Alfred," said Izuku, ignoring Alfred's jest. The truth was, he didn't mind taking the train, but Bruce had sent Alfred around as he felt it would be best to avoid being accosted on his way by people who wanted to see the boy who took down the Hero Killer.

"I daresay, it must be quite something to have one's image plastered all over the telly," continued Alfred, driving away from the curb. "Mind you, Master Bruce never cared for such notoriety. Most of the time his primetime spotlights consisted of warrants for his arrest." He looked back at Izuku, who remained silent. "Is something amiss, Master Midoriya?"

"Sorry," said Izuku. "I'm just preoccupied, I guess."

"I understand," said Alfred knowingly. "Master Bruce and Master Greyson are both hot on the Sludge Villain's trail. It shan't be long before he is caught." Alfred pause, considering Izuku. "Though, that is precisely what is bothering you, isn't it?"

Izuku didn't answer. For the past year, his burning desire to be a hero was based on finding the Sludge Villain. He wasn't even a proper hero yet, and that goal was already within his grasp. Gone were the days of wonderlust when he dreamed loftily about being the next All Might, replaced instead with grounded reality.

"If I may, Master Midoriya," Said Alfred. "You are not alone in this fight. Master Bruce has always had to fight this battle alone. And though I have been there for him, he had to pave the path you now walk by himself. But you do not have to bear such a burden alone. Remember that. We're here, sir," Alfred added, pulling up to UA High.

"Thanks Alfred," Said Izuku, climbing out of the car. "For everything."

"My pleasure, Master Midoriya," said Alfred.

"Midoriya!!"

Class 1-A collectively began to swarm Izuku as he entered the room. He had to steel himself for this the moment he entered the school, as many people stared and whispered at him as he walked through the hallways. Several people even cheered and congratulated him. He found the attention overwhelming, but it paled in comparison to his classmate's reaction.

"Hail the conquering hero!" Said Kirishima, patting Izuku hard on the back.

"I still can't believe you took down the Hero Killer!" Said Mineta.

"What's so hard to believe about it?" Said Tokoyami. "He was trained by the Dark

Knight."

"Still, we were worried," Said Yaoyorozu.

"It was a good thing the pros showed up when they did, though," said Sato. "Who knows how much longer you could have kept him subdued."

"What was it like when you were fighting him?" Said Ashido.

"Terrifying," said Izuku truthfully.

"They say that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains," said Ojiro. "Can you imagine how terrifying it would have been if had been there when they attacked the USJ?"

"He's scary, yes," said Kaminari. "But have you seen him in that weird video? It's all over the internet."

"I didn't know there was a video," Said Ojiro.

"Yeah," said Kaminari. "He once wanted to be a hero, inspired by All Might, but felt disillusioned with society and set out to correct it on his own. He's evil and all that, but he's super tenacious. It's kinda cool, when you think about it."

"Kaminari!" Izuku snapped.

Kaminari looked at Izuku, only noticing that Iida was standing right beside him. Realization dawned on him and he covered his mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry," he said.

"No, it's okay," Said Iida. "I can see why people would find the Hero Killer interesting. His beliefs are almost noble. But instead of helping the world, he turned to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned."

Kaminari cleared his throat awkwardly. The fun atmosphere dropped immediately, and everyone went back to their seats. Izuku was impressed. Iida had already showed a lot of growth since their time in Hosu.

Aizawa entered the room and everyone fell silent. He instructed them to get into their gear and to head to Training Field Gamma, where All Might would be there to meet them for Hero Training.

All Might stood outside the gates of Training Field Gamma and watched as Class 1-A gathered around. All Might had been growing more and more impressed by Midoriya, especially seeing him on the news. By taking down the Hero Killer he had already accomplished more than most pros in their entire careers, and he wasn't even done with school yet.

Today he was going to see just how strong he has become.

"I am here!" He shouted to the class. "Hope you're ready to return to your lessons! Today is Hero Basic Training. It seems like I haven't seen you in a while. Good to have you back. Today, we're going to be doing something a little different: tactical espionage!"

The class glanced around, surprised. All Might was a little out of his element when it came to espionage, something that was more Aizawa's specialty. Without missing a beat, Iida's hand shot straight up in the air. "Sir," he said. "If we are focusing on espionage, shouldn't we be in the other training field, like when we did the battle training."

"A good question!" Said All Might. "But this isn't your regular espionage training. This is also a race! Training Field Gamma is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth. Your going to be tasked with seeking out and finding an evil-doer hiding somewhere in this great maze. But the caveat is that you have to find him before he finds you, or you lose the exercise."

"This is going to be so great!" Said Hagakure. Being invisible, she would have a great advantage in this exercise.

"Who are we going to be finding?" Said Tsuyu.

"For that, I asked a special guest to assist me," Said All Might. He pressed a button on a remote control and the doors behind him opened up. Izuku stared in surprise and the class gasped collectively they saw the familiar large, powerful figure step forward from the darkness.

"Batman!!" Shouted Kirishima excitedly. The class gazed in amazement as he stepped up next to All Might. Even though the Symbol of Peace was much bigger than Batman in terms of physical size, All Might seemed to pale in comparison to his sheer intimidating presence.

"Wait, we have to find HIM?!" Said Mineta, frightened.

"Before he finds you, yes!" Said All Might, laughing. "Everyone expects Hero work to be big explosions and powerful enemies, and while this is true, it is just as important to develop your abilities in stealth and espionage. If you can get the drop on the enemy, you can end the fight before it even begins. You're all going to be given capture tape. The objective is to capture your enemy. If he manages to evade your capture until the time runs out, you lose. But also, be warned: If you find him, you better be prepared for a fight. If he manages to capture you, that will also result in a defeat.

The class gave each other uneasy glances. They did not relish the idea of being captured by Batman.

"Now, everyone, let's get ready!" Exclaimed All Might.

"We're all going at once?" Said Yaoyorozu.

"As I said, this is a race!" Said All Might. "And also an exercise in problem-solving. You could choose to go it alone and try to capture your quarry, or you can work in groups and share the glory! It's up to you. Now, it's time to prepare yourselves: you have five minutes!"

Once again, Izuku found himself bombarded with questions.

"What do we do, Midoriya?" Said Kirishima.

"He's not going to hurt us, is he?" Said Mineta. "I've heard what he does to villains."

"He's not going to hurt you," said Izuku, half-truthfully. He knew Batman wasn't going to be as vicious on them as he is on the common criminal, but he decided to spare them the horror stories about what he endured during his training. "The best thing we can do is stick together in groups. He is nearly unstoppable to take one-on-one, and he's going to try to separate us so he can pick us off." Mineta let out a small frightened squeak, and the rest of the class still looked uneasy.

Izuku could hardly blame them. In this maze, Batman was in his element, and that was enough to drive fear into even the bravest of men. There were ample places to hide, areas where he could easily get the drop on them. Izuku was afraid that some of his classmates would panic once faced with him.

"I need you to trust me," said Izuku to his classmates. "We need to stick together. It's our best chance."

"Class 1-A!" Shouted All Might. "To the starting line!"

To say that Field Gamma was a maze was an understatement. It seemed to stretch for miles, with twists and turns that led to nowhere. At the sound of the starting bell, the class made their way into the labyrinth. The tension in the air was palpable, already Izuku's senses told him they were being watched. This was a classic move for Batman - an uneasy mind plays tricks on you, and only helps in making him more frightening.

The area around them was silent. Eerily silent compared to the booming voice they just left behind. Izuku shook his head. He had to get a hold of himself. If he let his fear get the better of him, then the rest of them couldn't hope to win. "We need to stay close together, everyone," He whispered, just loud enough for them to hear. "He's probably already got a bead on us, so we - "

A large explosion rocked Field Gamma, nearly knocking them off balance.

"What the hell was that?!" Said Sero.

"Look!" Shouted Mineta, pointing towards the direction of the explosion. The walls and pipes of the maze in front of them began to collapse, and was steadily dominoing it's way towards the group.

"Everyone take cover!!" Shouted Izuku, leaping out of the way of the cascade. The wreckage came crashing down around them, covering them in dust and debris. After a moment, the dust began to settle, and Izuku could hear coughing from several of his classmates.

"Is everyone all right?" Said Izuku, dusting himself off. Several of his other classmates began to pick themselves up from the wreckage.

"He dropped a freakin' building on us!" Shouted Kirishima, bursting from the wreckage. "I thought you said he wasn't going to hurt us!"

"This wasn't meant to hurt us," he said. He turned on his cowl vision and surveyed his surroundings. He, Sero, Kirishima, Uraraka, Shoji, and Tokoyami were together, while several of his classmates were on the other side of a giant wall of debris that separated them. "He's breaking us up into smaller groups."

"Then we need to find him fast," Said Tokoyami.

"I agree," Said Izuku. He walked over to the wall, calling over to the other side. "Is everyone okay?"

"We're fine," Came the muffled voice of Iida. "No one is injured."

"Good. Let's make use of this situation and spread out, but not too far," said Izuku. We'll find a rendezvous point where we can meet up later." Izuku pulled out a radio from his utility belt and threw it over the wall. "Use this to keep in contact with us. Don't let him separate you further. Just make for the center of the maze, we'll meet you there."

"Okay," Said Iida through the radio. "See you there."

Mineta was coughing, his eyes watering from the dust around him. He was disoriented and couldn't hear any of his classmates around him. After the dust settled, a quick glance around him confirmed that he was indeed alone.

Alone with the Batman!

He had to find the others, and fast. He began to make his way deeper into the heart of the training area. At least, he thought it was deeper in. The crash had turned him around, and it was already easy enough to get lost in this maze. The deeper he went into the maze, the quieter it got. He realized he was shaking. His mind kept drifting back to the USJ incident. He steeled himself and pushed forward, sticky balls at the ready.

He could hear voices out in the distance. It was his classmates! He broke into a run towards the sound when he tripped over something, falling face-first into the ground below him. As he stumbled to his feet, he felt a rush of wind behind him. He turned, but nothing was there. He had to get out of there. He stood and began to walk back in the direction of his friends when he bumped into something.

Something big.

A scream permeated the air, reaching Izuku's ears. He immediately recognized it as Mineta. "Over there!" He said, pointing in the scream's direction. Izuku and his classmates ran as quickly as the could, finally reaching Mineta, only to find him tied up and hanging from one of the pipes above him.

"He's crazy!!" Shouted Mineta, terrified. "He's freakin' crazy!"

Izuku and the others began detaching Mineta from the pipe when they heard All Might's voice over the speaker system. "Mineta, you're out! Report back to the starting area!"

"Which way did he go?" Asked Tokoyami.

"I don't know," Said Mineta. "I barely saw him."

Izuku pulled up his detective vision in his cowl, attempting to search the area for clues. As soon as he did, the connection went fuzzy and blacked out. "Dammit!" said Izuku. "He's jamming my detective vision. I'm not able to see where he went."

"So what do we do, Deku?" Said Uraraka.

"I need to think," said Izuku. He looked over the surrounding area. Batman was very good at disappearing, mostly without a trace. However, this was an espionage exam, and Batman was testing them, especially Izuku.

He pulled up his gauntlet computer. Batman was jamming every available frequency. He wasn't able to connect to the Batcomputer, and thus his detective vision was useless. He had to think of a way to bypass the jammer, or find another frequency that wasn't in use.

They heard a noise off in the distance. Shouting, clangs and banging on the metal structures around them, even a few explosions. The sound of clashing. Batman had engaged the other students. And Izuku knew they weren't going to last long. All Might came on to the speaker system again, checking off one by one the students who had been captured: Ashido, Aoyama, Yaoyarozu, Asui, even Iida. They were falling fast. Izuku felt his annoyance grow as All Might continued to name them off -

That's it!

Izuku pulled up the radio frequency tuner on his gauntlet computer. If he could just get the right frequency. . . .

"Got it!" He said excitedly.

All Might's loud voice was projected into the speakers in his cowl. By hacking into the speaker system frequency, he was able to listen in on All Might as he blabbed to the students who made their way back to the conference room after getting taken out by Batman.

Which meant Izuku now had Batman's location.

"I know where he is," Said Izuku. "But we can't just take him head-on. We need a plan."

"You know him best, Midoriya," Said Tokoyami. "What do we do?"

Izuku thought a moment. Bruce had taught him everything he knew, and there wasn't a thing about Izuku that he didn't know. But perhaps that was what he could use to his advantage. "Okay," he said. "Here's what we need to do."

Todoroki could see why Midoriya was so strong.

The Batman had gotten the drop on them, already taking down several of their students. He went for Iida first, who had the communications device, preventing him from contacting Midoriya. He then made short work of several of the other students, capturing them with a swift resolve that rivaled his father.

The area they were in was cramped, with several pipes and metal hardware surrounding them. It was difficult for Todoroki to get a good shot at their opponent, even with both his quirks. It didn't help that the Batman was fast. Very fast. It was all he could do to keep him at a distance while protecting the rest of the team that had yet to be captured. But he knew he couldn't hold off the assault for long.

"We need a plan!" Shouted Todoroki.

"I got this!" Said Kaminari, rushing forward.

"No, don't!" Shouted Todoroki, but it was too late to stop him. He lunged towards the Batman, charging his Indiscriminate Discharge 2 Million Volts, but as he approached, Batman simply reached out and grabbed onto him, seemingly absorbing the volts into his gauntlets, then grabbed onto one of the protruding pipes next to him, and the electric current shot throughout the area around them, shocking the students. After a few seconds, Kaminari faltered, his energy spent, giggling stupidly as a side effect from his electricity. Batman seized his chance and cuffed Kaminari and placed him to the side. The rest of the students were weakened by Kaminari's attack. Tsuyu launched her tongue forward and tried to entrap Batman, but he deftly dodged it, causing it to stick on the wall behind him. While briefly immobilized, he pulled a small capsule from his utility belt and threw it at her feet, which exploded into a mass of sticky ooze, trapping her.

It was Jiro's turn to act now, moving forward and plugging her earphone jacks into her boot, attempting to use her sound blast. But Batman was one step ahead of her, throwing another capsule towards her feet, which exploded and encased her boots up to the knee in thick ice, preventing the escape of sound. Batman bounded over her and Todoroki's fire blast, placing Jiro in cuffs while in midair. She was out now as well, and their numbers continued to dwindle.

"He's mowing us down!" Shouted Sato. "Where is everyone else?!"

"Get behind me," Said Todoroki. Sato complied, and Todoroki threw up a wall of ice between himself and what was left of the group. "Let's see you dodge this!" He said, launching a huge blast of fire towards Batman. The blast completely engulfed him, and he disappeared beneath the flame.

"Jeeze, Todoroki, you don't have to kill him!" Shouted Ojiro. But Todoroki wasn't trying to kill him. After seeing Midoriya in battle, he had a pretty good idea of how Batman's armor worked. He hoped that he was able to somehow weaken the armor, or at least slow him down long enough for one of them to use their capture tape. "When I give the signal," Said Todoroki. "Rush in and use the -" he stopped dead in mid-sentence.

Batman had made it through the fire, unscathed. He used his cape to shield himself from the brunt of the blast, and his armor had protected him from the rest of it.

"Impossible!" Said Todoroki.

Batman wasted no time, rushing forward at incredible speed. Todoroki threw up a wall between them, trying to buy them some time to escape. Todoroki could see the bat-shaped silhouette pull something from his belt, and he heard what sounded like a can of spray-paint against the wall. Realization dawned on Todoroki.

"Get down!" He shouted.

The wall of ice exploded, forcing the students backwards in the blast. Batman walked through the open hole in the ice wall, and Ojiro rushed forward, trying to strike Batman, who dodged and parried his attacks effortlessly, grabbing him by the tail and throwing him to the ground, taking his chance to cuff him while the wind was knocked out of him. He continued to make his way towards the rest of the students when he paused and reached out to his side, grabbing onto seemingly nothing. Todoroki then realized that he was holding onto Hagakure's arm, after she had tried to sneak up on him.

"How did you see me?!" She said indignantly.

"You may be invisible, but you're body heat isn't," Batman replied, placing cuffs on her.

Damn. Todoroki thought, looking around. There was still no sign of Midoriya anywhere. They were losing, badly. They needed him. As Batman continued to advance, Todoroki realized that it was only he and Sato left. They stood and readied themselves to fight, but they both knew that it was useless. Batman was as unstoppable as his reputation preceded.

"Enough!"

Batman stopped, turning at the sound behind him. There stood Izuku Midoriya, squaring off against his mentor, alone.

"You're fight's with me, Batman," said Izuku.

"Then shut up and fight," Batman shot back.

Izuku wasted no time, leaping forward into a flurry of punches and kicks. Batman matched him blow-for-blow, both parrying and attacking each other with blinding speed. Todoroki and Sato stared in awe at the skirmish. It was like the Batman was fighting his own shadow. Izuku leaped into a spinning kick towards Batman's head, who parried it effortlessly, grabbing him and throwing him into the wall beside them. Midoriya leapt back to his feet in an instant, pressing his attack. But Batman was too strong. He continued to counter Izuku's attacks, which were starting to lose their steam.

"You know a forward-facing attack is useless," Said Batman. "You know you can't win. Which means, you're not trying to win." Batman looked around, detecting several other signatures surrounding him. "Playing the distraction," He said. "Not bad."

"NOW!" Shouted Izuku.

Shoji, Uraraka, Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Sero all leapt out of their hiding places, advancing on Batman. Shoji and Kirishima began their assault directly on Batman, who was dodging and parrying their attacks. Uraraka began throwing punches, (a result from her training with Gunhead) and attempted to get in a good shot to use her quirk on him, but he bounded over her, pushing her into Shoji and Kirishima.

Tokoyami stepped forward and called forth Dark Shadow. "I've always dreamed of meeting you," He said. "I never thought I would get the chance to fight you." He ordered Dark Shadow forward, and surprisingly was able to land a hit on Batman, sending him backwards. He recovered quickly, throwing a batarang towards Dark Shadow, which exploded in a blinding light. This caused Dark Shadow to shriek and it retreated back to its master. Sero stepped in and threw the cellophane from his arms towards Batman, trying to ensnare him. Batman grabbed onto the tape and pulled Sero forward into a clothesline. Batman then used his own cellophane to capture him.

Shoji, Uraraka and Kirishima recovered and began their attack again, with Izuku, Sato and Todoroki joining them. They were backing Batman against a corner, who continued to dodge and block their assault.

"We're doing it!" Said Sato. "We got him on the ropes!"

But Izuku knew better. Batman was rarely backed into a corner without a way out.

He reached into his belt and pulled out a capsule, throwing it to the ground. A bright light enveloped them, and the students all yelled as they tried to shield their eyes from the flash. When their eyes adjusted, Batman was gone.

"Where'd he go?" Said Kirishima.

"Don't worry," Todoroki said. "We'll find -"

"TIME'S UP!!"

The booming voice of All Might projected over the speakers. The match was over.

"Man, we lost!" Said Sato.

"So many of us were taken captive," said Todoroki. "The odds were stacked against us from the beginning."

"Don't be so sure."

They all jumped at the deep voice behind them. Batman had returned. "You all performed adequately," he said. "It's not everyday that someone gets the better of me." He lifted his arm, showing the students the capture tape that was wrapped around it. Everyone turned to Izuku, who no longer had his capture tape. They all paused for a minute, then burst into cheers at their victory.

"Looks like your plan worked, Midoriya," said Batman, walking away. "They all seem to really trust you. Not bad."

Izuku and his classmates were finishing up in the locker rooms, changing back into their school uniforms. They had all had a tough day of training, and the espionage training they just went through was particularly tough. The boys around him were still talking excitedly about it.

"I still can't believe we fought Batman!" Said Kirishima. "That was the coolest thing ever!"

"He is every bit as good as his reputation makes him out to be," Said Tokoyami. "It was a true honor seeing him in action."

"Is that the kind of training you went through, Midoriya?" Asked Seto.

"More or less," Said Izuku. The truth was that Batman went easy on them, but he didn't have the heart to tell them.

"It was terrifying," Said Mineta, still shaking from his encounter.

"Are you sure the dude doesn't have a quirk?" Said Sato. "How strong he was, how fast he was moving, we could barely keep up with him. He was like a total ninja out there!"

"That's why he's the top hero in America," Said Tokoyami.

"I thought Superman was the top hero in America?" Said Kaminari.

"On paper, yes," Said Tokoyami. "But Batman is considered to be the most feared in the criminal underworld, even above Superman."

"That's freaky," said Kirishima.

Izuku finished changing, ready to make his journey home. He was tired and sore, and had a lot of studying to do. When he exited the locker room, he stopped in surprise to see that Bruce was waiting for him.

And he was accompanied by All Might.

"Midoriya," Said Bruce. "We need to talk."

"What's this about, Bruce?" Said Izuku. Today was full of surprises for him. He had never seen All Might and Bruce in the same room before, much less having Bruce assist with his class. He still wasn't entirely sure why Bruce had participated in the training to begin with.

"There's a reason behind my actions in class today," said Bruce, as if reading his mind. "You demonstrated considerable strength and growth in your fight with the Hero Killer. I wanted to see that for myself, and you didn't disappoint."

"It's true," said All Might. "You performed well today."

Izuku felt a sense of pride at All Might's words rise in his chest, despite the bitterness he felt. He was still on uneasy ground with the Pro Hero, after what happened at the Sports Festival.

"It's important that we take your training to the next step," Said Bruce.

"What do you mean?" Said Izuku.

"Things are happening, Izuku," Said Bruce. "The events at the USJ and Hosu City are just the beginning. For better or worse, you're involved now, and you need to be ready."

"Ready for what?" Asked Izuku.

"In order to tell you that, there's something you have to know first," Said Bruce, turning to All Might. "About the connection between the League of Villains and All Might."

"Connection?" Said Izuku, surprised.

"I'm afraid so," Said All Might. "And to properly tell you the story, you need to know about my quirk." He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Not many people know about my quirk," he continued. "It is a closely guarded secret that I have worked hard to keep just that: secret. Many people just assume it is super-strength. When asked about it in interviews, I try to dodge the question as best I can. The truth is. . . . I wasn't born with this quirk."

"What?!" Said Izuku, standing up.

"Just hear him out," said Bruce. Izuku sat back down.

"It's true," Said All Might lifted his hand, which began to glow a rainbow of different colors. "I was given this power at a young age. And it was passed down to my predecessor, and her predecessor before her. With each wielder, the power is cultivated, and grows stronger, until it is passed onto the next wielder. It's true name: One For All."

"You remember what I told you about quirks?" Said Bruce. Izuku nodded, recounting their conversation about Lex Luthor, or rather, a version of him, sending the alien Brainiac's exobytes back in time, causing humanity to develop quirks.

"That's where my quirk comes in," said All Might. "Around the time Luthor introduced the exobytes."

"You know about Luthor and Brainiac?" Said Izuku, surprised.

"He was training in America at the time, and was part of the task force that helped to take down Brainiac," Said Bruce.

"My quirk," All Might continued. "Is derived from another quirk, a very old and powerful quirk that allowed the user to take quirks from others. The user could then keep and use the quirk as his own, and even give it to others. When people started developing quirks due to the exobytes, society didn't quite know how to deal with the increased rate of super-powered individuals. Suddenly it was impossible to determine what it meant to be 'normal.' Laws and Human rights were hotly debated. Civilization's progress stalled and society decayed, just like Luthor said it would. But during that chaotic change, there was one person that managed to rally a bunch of people together. He went by the name of his power: All For One."

"He developed the ability to steal quirks from others," Bruce said. "And with his overwhelming abilities he was able to spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purpose, and committed evil acts with little resistance. In a blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan."

Izuku remembered reading about this online, but it was always assumed to be just a legend. It was never talked about in their history books or through any reputable source. If it wasn't coming from Bruce and All Might he would scarcely believe it.

"It's the kind of shameful history that people would rather forget about," Said All Might. "When a person gains true power, they enjoy showing it off. He made people trust him, submit to his will by altering their abilities."

Bruce pulled out a small holodisk and pulled up the projection of a man sitting in a chair. He wasn't moving, a vacant and ghastly look etched on his face. "There were some people who couldn't bear the weight of the quirks they were given," Said Bruce. "They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking or thinking for themselves: just like the Nomu."

"Are you saying. . . . " Izuku began, hardly wanting to hear the answer.

"We believe so, Izuku," Said Bruce. "All For One is the true leader behind the League of Villains."

"But isn't he long dead by this point?" Said Izuku.

"One who steals quirks has no limits," Said All Might. "You should know by now that anything is possible. There are even quirks that halt aging. He probably has something like that, but we can't know for sure."

"But how did One For All derive from this evil person?" Said Izuku.

"It's an ironic part of life, but justice so often spawns from evil," Said Bruce. "All For One had a quirkless brother, who was young and sickly, but had a strong sense of justice, and vehemently opposed his brother's deeds. Eventually, All For One gave his brother a quirk, one that allowed him to stockpile his power. Most likely it was less of a gift and more of a means to make him submit. But what All For One didn't know is that his brother wasn't actually quirkless. He had a quirk that allowed him to transfer his quirk others. A seemingly useless quirk, so it is understandable how it went undetected, but it allowed him to pass on the stockpile quirk given to him by his brother. Because of his influence, and the sheer difference in their power, the younger brother passed on his quirk to new generations. With each user, the quirk grows stronger, until one day it would be strong enough to stop his older brother."

Realization dawned on Izuku. "Your fight five years ago," He said.

"That's right," Said All Might. "I managed to defeat All For One, or so I thought." He added bitterly. "The battle came at a heavy price, and now it seems that he has survived and is leading the League of Villains."

"Why are you telling me this?" Asked Izuku. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You and Tomura Shigaraki are now bound as much as All For One and All Might are," Said Bruce. "I'm sorry, Izuku, but it is an inevitability of the mission. You are no longer just a pebble in his path, you are his target."

Izuku swallowed. So that was it. Shigaraki wanted him dead. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, considering their last meeting at the USJ, but it still filled Izuku with a sense of fear, knowing that somewhere out there was someone who was seeking his destruction.

"We won't let anything happen to you, Young Midoriya," Said All Might. "I promise you that."

"So now you care what happens to me?" Izuku snapped.

All Might recoiled slightly. "I've always cared, Young Midoriya," He said quietly. "But I see now that what I said to you on that rooftop was wrong. In fact, I see now more than ever that you are worthy."

"Worthy?" Izuku scoffed. "Of what?"

"Of inheriting my quirk," said All Might.

Izuku fell silent, speechless. He looked back and forth from All Might to Bruce, whose face remained passive. "You want me to inherit your quirk?" Said Izuku finally.

"Yes," Said All Might. "My body is failing, and my power along with it. Someone must succeed me as the new Symbol of Peace. I see now that you are the correct choice. I hope you can forgive this old man for not seeing it sooner. Will you accept this responsibility and become the next holder of One For All?"

Izuku hesitated. This was something that he dreamed of every day since he was a child. Every day he hoped and prayed for a miracle that would bring him his power, true power. Every time Kacchan hurt him, ever time he was called weak and pathetic for not having powers, for being different, this would all come to an end, and he would finally know what it was like to experience true power.

"No," said Izuku.

All Might stared in surprise. "Are you sure, Midoriya?" He said. "Isn't this what you always wanted?"

"It is," He said. "Or at least, it used to be. But I don't need it." He looked up at All Might fiercely. "You may think I'm worthy now, but you're wrong. I've always been worthy. Shigaraki may come after me, All For One himself may come after me, they are welcome to try. I'll be ready for them." He stood and began to walk out the door.

"Think about this, Young Midoriya," Said All Might. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Izuku nodded. "I already have a power, All Might," he said. "I never give up." He closed the door and left without another word. All Might sank back down into his chair and heaved a great sigh.

"Well, that's it then," He said sadly. "My search for a successor continues. And I'm running out of time."

Bruce said nothing, standing up and suddenly reaching over and yanking a strand of hair from All Might's head.

"Ow! What the hell, Bruce?" Said All Might indignantly.

"For safekeeping," Bruce replied, following Midoriya out the door, leaving the bewildered All Might behind.