Chapter 40: Reunions
The interrogation was far from what Izuku had anticipated, his senseis' otherworldly words still swirling unbelievably in his mind.
The blood pouches they had thrown in with him were shamefully good, as he drank from them facing away from what he now realized was a one-way mirror; where he assumed Aizawa sensei was stood watching him along with whoever else was standing beyond the door.
"Midoriya, you're very lucky to have such loyal friends who care about you so much."
Izuku had cringed at his words, the thought that his friends had possibly risked their placement at UA for his sake. What had his friends confessed to the authorities? What had they done to make Aizawa sensei say that?
"We want to try and help you as much as possible but we can't unless you cooperate with us. If you refuse to eat you'll have to remain in solitary confinement until you die from starvation.
It wasn't long after he had hesitantly drunk all the blood pouches, with some encouragement from Aizawa to push him through his own disgust and self-hatred, that a second unknown voice rattled through the speakers installing weary fear into his soul.
"Midoriya, my name is Tsukauchi, I believe we may have met or not before. I need you to answer a few questions before our interrogations begin."
Midoriya had shifted awkwardly as he had turned to sit up, his sunken tired eyes slowly looking up towards the mirror as he had replied.
"Alright..."
He had answered a few questions honestly before the speakers shut off and a few officers walked into the room along with Aizawa sense not far behind. Midoriya had felt his eyes widen with surprise seeing him enter the room, even after hearing his voice through the speaking before lowering his head shamefully as he came face to face with his sensei.
The questions which followed carried on and on for hours as he answered everyone as honestly and truthfully as he could; not bothering to keep back any details now as he told them in depth about the night his friend had attacked and tried to kill him.. There was no point anyway, he was caught.
When the topic of the league of villains, and his association came up, Izuku wasted no time confessing to the police about Hagakure's involvement and the information leaks she had committed; which had resulted in the attacks on the USJ and the summer training trip.
It was only as he was confessing his knowledge of the spy to his sensei's face did he feel the drowning emotions of guilt and shame.
Seeing up and close in person the damage he had caused on his sensei's cheek, and withholding information on who had leaked the information which had caused the other scar under his eye and the pain she had caused to all of his classmates.
It made him feel horrible, leaving him asking himself why couldn't he have just confessed and prevented all this in the first place, every time he looked up into Aizawa-sensei's tired, saddened eyes.
It wasn't until a few days later, when he was back in the dorms, that he was told that Hagakure had already fled and not returned to UA. The police who had been behind the one way glass quickly launched an arrest warrant, as Tsukauchi had given the signal for Midoriya's claim to be true, only to find the girl already long gone.
That information had not gone down well with Izuku, leaving him feeling even more bitter and sick in the stomach.
Exhaustion dragging though his head as the interrogation slowly came to a close, distracting himself trying to guess the detectives quirk, who sat besides his sensei to ass the time. It took a few hours for him to come to a reasonable conclusion, a truth quirk, and it was probably the only reason why they where interrogating him at that moment and accepting his truthful answers without and comment.
The sudden thought had caused him to tense up slightly as he had eyed the detective, scared and curious about why he hadn't called him out about the origins of his 'original' quirk once he ha asked him about his ghoul quirk and how it worked.
If he was going to comment on it, Izuku supposed, he already would have called him out about it; all he was worried about was how he was going to face All Might and give up the power of One for All.
"Thank you for being honest with us, Midoriya" the detective had begun, as he had started packing up his paperwork as he offered Midoriya a smile. The comment made Izuku feel far more relieved than he should have, considering the terrifying situation he was still stuck in.
Too soon it felt as if the interrogation had come to a close. Aizawa offered Midoriya a chance to ask his own questions, in a tone which was far too kind for a monster like him, which he almost declined before hesitating and opening his tired jaw to ask. His dark eyes and sunken facial features, from the lack of food, broke Aizawa's heart as he peered up at him.
"A-am i g-going to prison..?"
Midoriya could only watch Aizawa's eyes widen slightly with shock as he sat in his place, feeling so small and insecure, as his sensei offered him a relieving "No."
Izuku had dragged out a long sigh as the answer filled his mind with relief before asking pausing into a momentary silence, thankful that he would have a chance to give All Might back the power he held, sucking in a sharp breath as he asked the two men if it was possible for him to talk to his Number One hero.
Aizawa and Tsukauchi had shared a look of surprise, as Midoriya's dark circles eyes peered up to them desperately as they stood up to leave him in the plain room again.
Aizawa had grimaced a little, knowing that Yagi would have heard his students' words as he stood feel away behind him, as he gave Midoriya an agreeing nod.
"All right, I'll ask him for you."
And that was all Midoriya could ask for, letting out a sigh or relief as he slumped back into the chair he was sat in, the tension from his body draining out before another thought had popped into his head.
He hadn't considered whether All Might would even want to see him.
Izuku grimaced in thought, he could only hope his mentor didn't hate him for the crimes he had committed enough to not even want to look at him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the horrible possibility certainly wasn't out the window.
Izuku could only hope that even if All Might was infuriated out of his mind, as long as Midoriya had a chance to give back One for All, that's all that mattered to him.
"You heard him, Yagi. He wants to see you."
The room behind the one way mirror had slowly emptied over the course of the interview, leaving only Yagi in his deflated form alone in the dim room, looking into the interrogation room at the successor he cared so deeply about.
Bakugou and Midoriya had both been missing for three days, each with their own injuries and mental scars to heal from now they had made their own way back home to safety.
Yagi lowered his head with guilt and shame, thinking back to their failed attempt to rescue the boys, only to come back empty handed. The word Shigaraki had spoken in those few hours between the raid and the phone call he had received of their escape was still haunting him deep in the back of his mind.
He could only remember feeling grief so strong once in his lifetime before, the memory of his own mentor flashing before his mind as he watched his own successor fidget awkwardly in his seat as if the poor boy would vanish before their eyes.
It already looked as if part of the boy he had once known was missing from inside the exhausted child in front of them. The dark circles, extensive scars on his fingers and missing limb broke Yagi's heart to witness; leaving the hero praying that the kind hearted, heroic boy was still strong enough to face his fight back to recovery.
It would be a long, tough journey Midoriya would have to take; but this time Yagi had no intention of letting the boy walk the long narrow line alone again.
The thought brought him back to the present as he stared in disbelief as he heard the words calling for him fall from Midoriya mouth, just as Aizawa and Tsukauchi walked out of the room leaving the boy behind.
Yagi looked over to his co-worker, looking for confirmation as Tsukauchi gave him the 'all clear' as he peered over to the hero besides who gave him a subtle nod as he spoke.
"We were right, Yagi. Midoriya told his friends' the truth. He's never been affiliated with the leave."
The second wave of relief drained all the tension remaining in Yagi's body, slumping as all the fear and worry for his successor drained away, as he peered back at the boy sitting alone.
Yagi could only hear his heart thumping erratically as his sole concentration was dedicated to the poor green haired boy curled back up into himself on the bench, his tufts of white hair poking out in odd places as he shifted in his seat.
He had thought that all this time Midoriya would have resented him for not being able to see the issues which he had lurking beneath the surface, or that the poor boy would have been afraid of him because of his hero status.
He thought Midoriya may have assumed he despised him for the actions he had taken with his own hands, but Yagi knew that heart was pathetically soft for the boy, and the bond he shared with his successor made it impossible for hinto do or say anything that would draw hate.
No matter the rumours or gossip shared, there had never been a moment that Yagi had believed that he worked for the league. He'd trusted his successor with his life's legacy, and he had never doubted his decision.
Even with the ghoul quirk Midoriya had kept hidden, he knew the power he possessed, and the actions it forced him to take, wasn't his fault; Yagi just wished that Midoriya had trusted him enough and had spoken to him soon...
He wouldn't deny that the secrets that had been kept from him didn't hurt but he wasnt stupid enough not to realise the fear and anxiety his student must have been battling on his own. He just hoped Midoriya wasn't asking for him for the sole purpose of seeing his own intentions with him.
Whether Midoriya was asking for him for alternative reasons or not, at least this was an opportunity for him to reassure the boy that all fears and doubts he had for him were all unwarranted.
Yagi stifled a sigh, taking a deep shaken breath as he walked over to the door beside the mirror, looking at Aizawa who offered him a nod as he walked into the room.
It was a lot warmer than he had expected it to be, the bright lights on the ceiling causing his eyes to burn at their intensity a little as he quickly closed the door behind him, the sound catching Midoriya's attention as his face shot up from where it was resting.
The green haired boy's widened eyes watched him intensely as his small, less intimidating form stood on the opposite side of the room, before looking down shamefully and lowering his face into his crossed arms as he muttered something out; fresh tears clearly falling from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I-im so sorry, All Might, I- Oh my god. I can't tell you how sorry I am.!"
His successors sobs broke Yagi's heart, the older man feeling his face crumple with mirroring sorrow as the poor boy clearly worked himself into a panicked frenzy, his breathing rapidly beginning to increase.
Yagi couldn't help himself as he quickly walked across the room and pulled the crying boy into his arms, silencing his apologies as he gently pushed on the back of Midoriya's head until the boy's chin was resting comfortingly on his shoulder; his own tears quickly coming through as he did so.
Midoriya's eyes had widened dramatically with shock as he let out an audible gasp of air at his mentor's actions, silencing his splutters before he felt another overwhelming wave of guilt overcame him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry All Might. You probably hate me, I'm so sorry"
Yagi pulled him further into the hug at his depressing words, whispering words of indisputable comfort and care all the while.
"It's alright Midoriya, it's alright. I'm so sorry "Yagi began, wrapping his other arm around the boy's back as he tugged him closer to settle him. "I didn't see the pain you must have been going through. It's not your fault, young Midoriya, it's not your fault. I don't hate you, I could never hate you."
Midorya freezed in his arms at his word, a silent gasp of air rushing past his ear as the flow of tears continued pouring from their eyes; never once ceasing to stop.
Yagi listened carefully to his student in his arms, counting down the seconds until the poor boy slowly got his breath back, before relaxing into his arms as he gave up his feeble attempt to escape from his arms.
Midoriya lowered his head back into the crook of his mentor's neck, as he tried to seek out the comfort of human touch that he had avoided ever since he had been cursed with the power he had newer wanted. Grabbing a hold of Yagi's baggy shirt tightly, as if he was going to vanish from his arms, only the comforting palms of his hands holding back the flood gates beneath his eyes.
The pair sat like that for a while, not sure how long had passed as both their tears ran empty and dried up, before Yagi slowly opened his mouth to talk to his successor for the first time in a world free from the lies and deception kept hidden between them.
" heard you had asked if you were going to be sent to prison, i can assure you i wont allow that to happen, my boys."
Midoriya lowered his head further into his mentor's shirt with a poor hidden cringe, muttering out a few words Yagi had only managed to catch the end off.
"I deserve to be thrown in prison."
Yagi had almost pulled his head away with shock, if it wasn't for the intense grip he felt coming from the boy beside him, as he felt his heart begin to break again at his depressing words.
"Oh Midoriya, it's not your fault, you were in a situation where you weren't given a choice...
Midoriya slowly shook his head, the movement barely visible as he began to oppose, only to freeze halfway through his words as a terrifying memory struck him.
"All Might, I-"
Yagi tilted his head with concern as he looked down at his student with furrowed eyes, his heart freezing with worry as he saw the suddenly terrified expression crawling on Midoriya's face.
"Midoriya, what's wrong? Please tell me?"
Midoriya's stiff form slowly lifted away from his neck as he turned to stare his sensei in the eyes, horror glazing them mirroring into Yagis' as they caught his own.
"All Might. You were wrong, All for one is still alive!
Midoriya began, his words making Yagis' world freeze as he lurched back in shared horror, zoning in on his student's voice and nothing else alone.
"He's alive! He tried to take the ghoul quirk and force me to give him one for all...'
It was at that moment that Yagi knew he must have been lying to himself, as he felt his heart freeze with horror and disgust, because in that moment he realised he and never felt the true power of rage and hate fuel his body before.
He felt his face fold visibly with anger as he tried to keep his tone kind.
"Young Midoriya, I'm going to need you to tell me where he is."
Midoriya sniffed loudly, his voice shakily weak as he spoke, before leaning back into All Might for another comforting hug.
"If I'm allowed to, All Might, I think I could show you-"
Yagi felt his eyes widen as he felt a wave of urgency overcame him as he interrupted his students' words, swiftly pulling away from his student as he moved his arms to grab ahold of his shoulders to ensure he heard his student voice clearly.
"Midoriya, what do you mean?"
Midoriya looked up at Yagi with surprise at his sudden reaction before awkwardly lowering his head in shame as he hesitated before slowly confessing some of the power behind his cursed abilities.
"My sense of smell is strong enough it allows me to follow where people have been, He kept coming into the cell before Bakugou was thrown in with me to try and get..." He paused, shaking his head as he looked away slightly before continuing, "| remember what he smells like, if it hasn't rained since we escaped and we go back to the building we escaped, should be able to find him..
Midoriya paused before sighing with a grimace, remembering the warping villain Kurogiri, as he quickly realised a problem they would probably run into.
"That as long as they haven't teleported away..."
All Might felt a wave of relief and resolve come over him, his thoughts zoning in on the practical use that Midoriyas quirk would have in possibly taking down the formidable villain, All for One.
"Midoriya," Yagi began, quickly replying as he spoke in a serious tone, "I've told you before how dangerous All for One can be, and now you have faced him yourself, but we need to act as quickly as possible to catch him before it's too late"
Yagi looked to Midoriya as he stressed his words, his tone and furrowed brows softening slightly as he saw the shock in the boy's eyes at his own desperate response.
" never wanted for you to have to see that despicable man, I want to keep you as far away from him as possible and protect you from him so you never have to see him again, but l'll see what I can do."
Midoriya sat back overwhelmed by All Might's worriful words as Yagi sighed and gently released Midoriya from his grip, quickly moving to stand up as he looked back down at his student.
"You've been very brave, young Midoriya. I promise that... After this is all over, we will talk again, and I will help you in any and every way I can."
Midoriya could only nod in silence as Yagi quickly walked out of the room, leaving his student behind as he revealed the grimace hidden beneath his angry face.
Fighting All for One was going to be hard, and Yagi was determined to do anything he could to take him down all the while keeping his successor safe.
There wasn't time to make big preparations like with the raid before, they needed to get moving now.
Yagi needed to get Midoriya out of the police station as soon as possible, so he could take them back to the building he had been tortured in, to find the despicable villain. Even if he couldn't get permission in time to take Midoriya out of the station, he wouldn't be against breaking him out to find All on One before taking him out alone.
Either way he knew it was necessary to get
Midoriya out of that cell for his own well-being as soon as possible; after all, there was nothing in this world he wouldn't do for his Successors health.
The thought alone of taking Midoriya anywhere near that villain left him feeling bitter and disgusted with himself, All Might knew he had a responsibility to take down All for One for the memory of his Mentor, the previous holders of One for All and the people of Japan.
He could only hope the pressing thought at the back of his mind, on whether he would make it back alive to keep his promise, wouldn't come true.
Thankfully, All Might didn't need to break Midoriya out of his cell, as Gran Torino had walked in and listened to the final part of Midoriya's words after racing to the station after hearing he was safe and sound.
With the two heroes combined, it didn't take long for the pair of them to explain the situation to nezu, along with a confused Aizawa, to convince them that they need to work together to get Midoriya out of the Police station to capture All for One as quickly as possible.
As Nezu gave the police and Aizawa a quick rundown of what was going on, Midoriya was giving permission to assist in the mission of capturing All for One under the conditions that he was to stay besides Gran Torino the entire time and leave the area once the villain was found.
The fight between All for One and All Might was broadcast all over the world, the actual battle lasting no more than a few minutes once the first blast attack came.
Midoriya had led the two heroes who were available to the worn-down industrial site, he had been kept hostage in, sniffing the dry air as he did to follow the smell back towards All for One.
They had paused on top of a building on the opposite side of the road when Midoriya realised the smell of the rest of the villains who had been here were slowly starting to dwindle away, apart from the one he had killed and All for One who was Suspiciously still at the warehouse.
They didn't have much time to put it to thought as a loud explosion and rush or air, which freakishly reminded Izuku of the night he was attacked by his old ghoulish friend, came flying full speed towards the trio; giving Midoriya only a few seconds to think before he was dragged away from the fight by Gran Torino.
The pair shot across the sky as they escaped, leaving Midoriya calling out his Mentor's name in fear and horror as they left All Might behind to fight for himself; the battle disappeared into the distance.
In the end, All Might won by an inch, his small fragile figure revealed to the world in the process; changing their course of history as they knew it.
Yagi managed to win the fight, but All Might the Nusaber one hero was no more.
For now, all that mattered was that All for One was behind bars; 500ft underground in Tartarus and thousands of miles away from the safety of UA where Izuku was finally taken to his new home; greeted by overly worried mother who had, much to Izuku's surprise, ran up to him before pulling him into a warm tight hug as no words where shared apart from their falling tears.
In some ways. Izuku had always been more fearful of how his mother was going to react to his ghoulish quirk than All Might; her presence in his life held up a far more important pillar of support for him over his life.
He was just glad his mother did not despise him, even if he senses the hesitance and caution she held back for his sake.
A/N favorite anime girl
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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stone